What a Dragon Should Know

Dragon Kin Series, Book 3

By: G. A. Aiken

Narrated by: Hollie Jackson

Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Only for those I love would I traipse into the merciless Northlands to risk life, limb, and my exquisite beauty. But do they appreciate it? Do they say, "Gwenvael the Handsome, you are the best among us - the most loved of all dragons?" No! For centuries my family has refused to acknowledge my magnificence, as well as my innate humility. Yet for them, and because I am so chivalrous, I will brave the worst this land has to offer.

So here I stand, waiting to broker an alliance with the one the Northlanders call the Beast. A being so fearful, the greatest warriors will only whisper its name. Yet I, Gwenvael, will courageously face down this terrifying...woman? It turns out the Beast, a.k.a. Dagmar Reinholdt, is a woman - one with steel-gray eyes and a shocking disregard for my good looks. Beneath her plain robes and prim spectacles lies a sensual creature waiting to be unleashed. Who better than a dragon to thaw out that icy demeanor?

And who better than a beast to finally tame a mighty dragon's heart?

©2009 G. A. Aiken (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"The wonderfully wacky and perverse nature of Aiken's stories and characters are guaranteed to produce laughs." (RT Book Reviews)

Great story and addition to the series :D

4.5-5 stars

This was a great story and addition to the series. I have to admit that I was a bit leery of this story because...well, it's about Gwenvael. But surprisingly, I enjoyed this story so very much.

Dagmar is a rather plain woman that makes up for her looks with a very high intelligence. She's the only daughter of her father, the Reinholdt (aka a fearsome Warlord in the Northern territories). Dagmar is extremely skilled with animals, particularly canines, and she has total control over the raising and training of her father's war hounds. Dagmar hasn't had much luck with men and her main hope is that when she reaches 40, her father might see her as a spinster and give her a small house of her own near his keep.

Gwenvael is dragon shifter and brother to Feargus & Briec (from previous books in the series). Gwenvael isn't a fighter and prefers to spend his extra time bedding just about any woman (dragon or human) who's willing. Gwenvael tends to stick his foot in his mouth but is basically a good guy.

Dagmar's family is facing a fight with an uncle that wants her father's title and keep. Dagmar is very learned and is excellent at finding out information and she finds out some info on a threat to Annwyl and the twin babies that Annwyl is currently pregnant with. Dagmar sends a message to Annwyl (in the name of her father, the Reinholdt) asking her to come and meet with her to bargain for the info. Annwyl ends up sending Gwenvael to talk to the Reinholdt and it goes badly, with Gwenvael sticking his foot in his mouth big time. He embarrasses Dagmar which causes her to withhold the information he needs. Gwenvael doesn't want to admit his failure to Annwyl, so he has to plot and plan on how to get back into Dagmar's good graces so she'll deign to talk to him again.

It takes a bit of work but Gwenvael is able to convince Dagmar not send him away and eventually, to work with him on negotiating an alliance that would help both sides. As part of this, Gwenvael and Dagmar end up travelling together and trouble does cause them to spend more time together than planned and they come to trust each other. Dagmar ends up going south with Gwenvael and is a great help to Annwyl and her court. While she's there, things between Dagmar and Gwenvael continue to grow and eventually turns into something they both know they want more of and when more trouble comes their way, it just solidifies their need to be with each other. Thankfully, while the situation looks pretty bad for a while, things work out nicely and are pretty much solved by the end of the story, allowing Gwenvael and Dagmar to start on a HEA together.

I greatly enjoyed this story. I thought Dagmar was a great heroine and she was a perfect match for Gwenvael. Dagmar is so smart, cunning and manipulative....I really wish I was that crafty! Gwenvael is a good guy, even with his tenancy to be a bit of an idiot at times. I really liked that he didn't fight the feelings he had for Dagmar once he recognized them and didn't bemoan his lost "playboy" status. Overall, I loved the characters and I thought the story was great and very engaging so I'd recommend this story/series.

loved it. funny and all the feels

honestly this probably my favorite of the series when it comes to the lighter side of Aiken and her writing. you don't have to be a warrior to be a badass and sometimes being a womanizing flake is just a mask. or part of one. this has comedy, adventure and some steamy romance. Hollie Jackson does a superb job with all the voices. had no trouble keeping track of who was who and felt the narration really made the characters and story come alive.

What's not to love!

I love this series. Wonderful humor. Very fun. Well written, I had already read the book in this series. More than once, enjoy her books immensely every time.

loved it

one of the best series I've heard. this has me laughing and guessing what was next

the Best one

I've listened to these stories again and again always feeling the same, never getting enough. it's still the absolute best and I've read or listen to them all

I enjoyed this story

I will not tell a lie I enjoyed these series, I found all the Dragon Kin books narrated by Hollie Jackson hilarious great and I love the way Hollie made each person distinctive and I like the lighthearted approach to everything. The only thing I do not like is the way the women all the women are always insulted by family and enemies alike(slut, cow, sow, and bitch) yet the men get nothing at all. I know some of the insults are made with no malice (especially between the women of the family) intended but it was annoying.

The Best Twist on A Beauty and the Beast Ever!

If you've reached the third book of this series, you know what to expect...and you get that and more, when the Beauty...er....Handsomest of Dragons meets his match when he finds a bespectacled and unassuming, but oh so very dangerous, Beast.

My favorite in the series!

This story is fun, funny, fast paced, and intricately woven together. It continues building this universe and its characters. I'm looking forward to the next book already.

Laugh

I think this book in the series has been my favorite. I’ve laughed so much.

Excellent Story - painful narrator

I really hate to leave bad reviews, but the only reason I’m sticking with this series & this narrator is because the author is so wonderful. I totally loved this story. The characters can be so funny. However, the narrator is sometimes very hard to listen to. Her reading is at times so stilted & character voices sometimes just strange. I DO recommend this book & series - but know that it can be annoying to listen to