The Protector

Fire's Edge, Book 5

By: Abigail Owen

Narrated by: Melissa Moran

Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

The cousin of the High King, Lyndi Chandali has lived with the constant threat of being pawned off as a political prize. A rare, female-born dragon like Lyndi can't truly mate—not in the way it counts. Which is why she's kept her distance from a certain sinfully delicious Beta. Instead, she's built a life for herself giving orphaned dragons in the Americas a home.

As Beta of his team of enforcers, Levi Rowtag is a fighter first, last, and always. His job is to protect—his team, the shifters in his territory, and the stubborn woman hell-bent on fighting with him at every turn. He knows from the moment they first meet what she'll never accept—they are destined to be mated.

But with the kings at war, the enemy is now coming for Lyndi. Worse, he's coming for her orphans, too. He'll have no choice but to defy his king and go rogue if he has any hope of protecting them all . . . and finally claiming his mate.

Contains mature themes.

©2020 Abigail Owen (P)2022 Tantor

Hot dragons and a swoon worthy love story

I have been waiting for Levi and Lyndi’s story and this swoony, nail biting book did not disappoint. It is filled with all the emotions, the connections and the love. Lyndi is a rare female born dragon. Female born dragons are sterile so their use is only as a spinster aunt to help care for their sibling’s children or to be married off for political reasons. Lyndi wants none of what others choose for her and crafts her own happy life. She chooses to “adopt” orphan dragons, who normally would end up being killed after going rogue, and makes a family with them. Levi has been a member of the Huracan enforcers for centuries, protecting humans from dragons, putting out dragon fires, and keeping the secret of dragon kind. Lyndi’s brother, Drake (The Enforcer) is Levi’s teammate and Lyndi came with Drake to the team two hundred years ago. This a very slow burn - hundreds of years slow. Levi and Lyndi’s struggle to find love and navigate their individual paths as well as their path together in the midst of dragon politics, a war between the dragon kings, team expectations, and dangerous enemies will give you all the feels. A steamy story, exciting chases, lots of intrigue, family bonds, and sweet love makes this a story worth reading multiple times. The world building is phenomenal in this book and it parallels the author's Inferno Rising series. This is a standalone and you will not be lost if you have not read the other books in the series but there are some overarching storylines that you’ll enjoy more if you read the books in order. I am excited to read the final book in the series.

I usually prefer dual narration but Melissa Moran did a good job narrating the story and characters into life with enough change of inflection, tone and cadence to voice multiple characters quite convincingly.