Dragons Realm

Dragons Realm Saga, Book 1

By: Tessa Dawn

Narrated by: Mikael Naramore

Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

From the best-selling author of the Blood Curse series comes a new legend of danger, dark fantasy, and vampiric dragons....

Mina Louvet is a fighter, a human with a powerful will to survive in a world dominated by warlocks, soul-eaters, and shifters. Identified by the king's witch as one of the rare, invaluable females in Dragons Realm who can give birth to a dragon's son, she was stolen from her parents as a child and taken to the Keep to be reared in the ways of the Ahavi. As one of the few, the elect - the Sklavos Ahavi - Mina is expected to feed her master's fire, reanimate his blood, and above all else, give him strong dragon offspring: children who will one day rise to power. But Mina, to her great misfortune, is far too intelligent for her own good: She has a stubborn sense of justice, and she is wholly incapable of blind submission. 

Dante Dragona is as cunning as he is lethal, as methodical as he is dangerous, and as terrifying as he is powerful. As the eldest of three dragon princes, he is destined to succeed his merciless father to the throne of Castle Dragon. But first he must do his duty to the Realm by governing one of its harsh, unforgiving districts and claiming a Sklavos Ahavi. Hardened by the sadistic abuse he endured as a child and shaped by the tragic suicide of his twin, the prince lives only to fulfill his obligations to the monarchy: to maintain law and order in a bestial land, to contain its magical inhabitants, and to keep the kingdom safe from its mortal enemies, the Lycanian shifters across the sea. Like all primordial dragons, he rules with an iron fist, dominates with absolute power, and punishes with fire. Those who oppose him die a swift and brutal death - subject, enemy, or slave, the Realm has no tolerance for weakness. 

When the iron resolve of a dragon prince clashes with the stubborn will of a slave, bonds will be broken, alliances will be tested, and a kingdom will be set ablaze. 

©2015 Tessa Dawn (P)2015 Tessa Dawn

Another Amazingly Original Tale!

If you could sum up Dragons Realm in three words, what would they be?

Original, Exciting and Captivating!

What other book might you compare Dragons Realm to and why?

Tessa Dawn has once again taken a creature of myth and legend and made it her own. Her ability to create fantastic worlds where she takes fantastic,powerful creatures and infuses the human element is unmatched. You feel the ferocity of these beings along with their very real human fears and insecurities. It's simply brilliant!

What does Mikael Naramore bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mikael Naramore breaths his own fire into these powerful dragons. Through his voice you can feel the power of each character and the emotions they demonstrate as well as those they try to hide. His ability to give each and every character their own voice takes you deeper into the story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Watch passion ignite like you've never seen before.

WOW... WHAT A NON-STOP DRAGON DRAMA-FEST

It's all been said before..... it's riveting, totally captivating, thrilling, chilling and spins a supernatural gothic tale of 3 Dragon Princes and the lengths they will each go to to protect themselves and the different Realms that they're in charge of. But one does it out of duty and loyalty, one does it out of greed and his sadistic pleasure as his black heart deals out pain, torture and death and the third does it quietly not wanting to make waves. And all 3 are ruled by the most powerful Dragon King of them all, their twisted nasty Father who makes and breaks the Laws as he sees fit.... in a frightening land inhabited by Werewolves, Witches, Soul Eaters and Warlocks.

Mina is a chosen one, a rare Ahavi, a brood mate for the Dragons, she's selected, snatched and trained Into slavery for one thing.... to give in, give respect, give everything and give birth to the next generation of Dragons. Mina is one of 3 Ahavi that are put forward for consideration and claiming and Dante, the next Prince in line for his Father's throne, has chosen the beautiful Mina. But so much drama and danger goes on that nothing goes the way it's supposed to.... which leads to lies, secrets, horrific deaths, shocks, surprises, twists, nail-biting climactic scenes and a love story that is totally different from the norm, totally not as expected and is as tragic as it is beautiful.

Lots of supernatural beings, multiple POV's and a gifted narrator whose perfect, deep and sexy voice of the Hero sent shivers down my spine and left me a quivering wreck..... and I loved it!! But sadly no sex scenes.

Worth a credit? As I said, it's not the norm.... so be warned - the HEA is fraught with heartbreaking complications but the slow to develop love story is very touching and emotional. The action doesn't stop and I couldn't stop the listen.... a hauntingly different fantasy that's definitely creditworthy, It cries out for a sequel but sadly Tessa says we'll have to wait years for it.

Bring on the Dragons...

What did you love best about Dragons Realm?

I loved everything from beginning to end but, if I had to pick something that really spoke to me I would have to say it was how Tessa Dawn made the journey unpredictable. The twists and turns had me holding my breath a lot of the time.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dragons Realm?

Definitely when Damian went on his rampage in the tent and the outcome that transpired. I don't like to give away spoilers so I won't elaborate. But, all I can say is WOW!

What about Mikael Naramore’s performance did you like?

The man nailed the genre and time period. Mikael brought to life each character with amazing depth. Each personality stood out. He did a brilliant job in my opinion.

If you could take any character from Dragons Realm out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Mina, I would love to have a conversation with her about her time at the Keep, her life since and what the future holds for her and her family. I loved her strength, admired her compassion and would enjoy getting to know her better.

Any additional comments?

I am so glad Tessa Dawn ventured into this time period and for anyone that loves Gothic, Dark Fantasy you will not be disappointed in this story. Brought to life by Mikael Naramore, this tale will grab you , have you on the edge of your seat, leave you breathless and have you longing for more.

Dragons Realm: Magical and Mesmerizing!

Where does Dragons Realm rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Fast-paced. Terrifying. Dazzling. Compelling. I was drawn into a magical realm – a Dragons Realm – in Tessa Dawn's latest audiobook. And I couldn't stop listening. I was drawn deeper into the world of dragons and maidens; of witches and warlocks; of passion & lust with every chapter. Beautiful and poignant, I loved every word.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dragons Realm?

In the most non-spoilerish, spoiler: When a certain lead female reaches out with her heart and soul to the male who could love her, or kill her, or possess her, or even destroy her soul – I was shattered.

Which character – as performed by Mikael Naramore – was your favorite?

Although my vote usually lies with one of Tessa Dawn's male leads, I couldn't help empathize with Mina Louvet. She was so completely multi-faceted, and her emotions ran just underneath the surface, bursting forth in moments of raw trust. It was both a beautiful read and an incredible listen. In this audio format, I was able to sit back and allow myself to flow with her and the rest of the characters. A journey I won't forget anytime soon, if ever.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The lush descriptions, of which Tessa Dawn is known for, were not lost in Dragons Realm. In fact, due to the nature of the book itself, the narratives were even richer, more beautiful, brighter and created a deeply moving and complex world, one which I was reluctant to remove myself from, at the completion of the book.

Any additional comments?

For those of you who love Tessa's Dawn "Blood Curse Series," I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you listen to Dragons Realm. For those who have never read or listened to one of her books, please start here. Be warned: it will be difficult to extract yourself from this world and move on to another of her books, but you'll be changed for the better from this experience.

DRAGONS REALM HAS IT ALL!!!

Storytelling. Original world building. And bite your nails suspense. Dragons Realm truly has it all. I had no idea what I was in for with this new Tessa Dawn book, but what I found was rich and descriptive world building, astoundingly real and intricate characters, and a story that rips the heart out of your chest and puts it back again. More than once. Loved it from start to finish!
Mikael Naramore was a perfect fit for this story! He really brought the characters and the setting to life. I felt like I was actually there!

I really didn't care for dragons... Until now.

What made the experience of listening to Dragons Realm the most enjoyable?

Dragons Realm was nothing like anything I've ever listened to before. The actual story was so well written. I had to keep listening to know what was coming. I would stop listening, and my mind would be obsessed with what was going to happen next. On top of the sheer greatness of the story, Mikael Naramore read this story perfectly. He sounded like royalty. He sounded like he was from the time period this book was happening in. It was very easy to let my mind wander to the times of knights and beasts. Witches and shades.
Overall, the team of Tessa Dawn and Mikael Naramore really just made for an overall outstanding listen.

What other book might you compare Dragons Realm to and why?

As I mentioned before, this was a very unique book to me. I'm not sure I've ever really read a book that I can compare this to.
The only other book in that world of kings and dragons that I enjoyed that much was Beowulf. They aren't comparable stories, but both had incredible tales to tell, and character development for days.

What does Mikael Naramore bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Old World charm. The dragon princes themselves (besides being hot) just don't have a lot of appeal. They're kinda jerks. For the most part, they are doing what they are required of the time. But, in modern times, it's a bit revolting. Mikael Naramore kinda makes you forget that, and reminds you why these women find these man beasts appealing.

If you could take any character from Dragons Realm out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Damian. But Damian a little later in the book. I feel like at that point, he is the perfect mix of all that is awesome in a man. I think he would be the perfect gentleman, crazy smart, and pretty wicked post dinner.

Any additional comments?

I have had the joy of reading and listening to other stories by Tessa Dawn. I was honestly nervous to take on this book. It was far out of my reading/listening comfort zone. But, I so enjoy her writing style, that I had to listen to this one. I am so glad I did. I'm ready for more dragons!

OH GREAT SPIRIT KEEPERS!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Tessa Dawn is an incredible writer! Each series that I have read of hers keeps me coming back for more! Dragons… I did not know what to expect in this series; let’s just say Tessa did not disappoint!

What did you like best about this story?

You cannot help but become a part of the fantasy world of these dragons!The different twists and turns in this book had my emotions ALL over the place! In fact at one point while driving in the car and listening to this story unfold; I was so enthralled that I had to pull over and find out the outcome of one certain part of this book. I COULD NOT LEAVE the parking lot that I ended up in until that “holy crap did that just happen” moment passed and I could actually focus on the road.

Have you listened to any of Mikael Naramore’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The narrator’s voice alone would make you want to come back for more!

Who was the most memorable character of Dragons Realm and why?

In this particular book, Mina Louvet. She is a strong woman who knows what she wants and makes it happen.

Any additional comments?

Don't get me wrong... I love Dante Dragona as well. He is after all "one breath away from being a God..."

That voice

Listening to this man read this story puts a different twist to a story that was already awesome...
Great job

A Dark, Beautiful, Emotional Ride

What made the experience of listening to Dragons Realm the most enjoyable?

Tessa Dawn is a masterful writer. She brings the most amazing people and places to life with her stories and this one is no exception. Dragons Realm had the most unexpected twists and turns that made this story pure magic. It's the kind of story that makes you want to stay up late, call into work, and abandon responsibility just to hear how it ends.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dragons Realm?

I do not want to spoil the story so I will just stay it is a particularly tender moment between Dante and Mina.

What does Mikael Naramore bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mikael brings Tessa words to life. The changes in his voice, accents, and just his voice in general is a pure pleasure to listen to.

If you could rename Dragons Realm, what would you call it?

I wouldn't Dragons Realm is absolutely perfect.

Any additional comments?

If you love this genre and want to hear a story about a fabulously sexy alpha dragon, and a heroine who is as fierce as she is lovely and loyal, set in a magical world than look no further than Dragons Realm. You will not be disappointed.

Wow

Loved every second of this book. Tessa your story telling is so good. Every book I've listened to has just brought me deeper and deeper into the worlds you create. You are brilliant and can't wait to hear what's next.