It's Ladies First In Love And War In "Soul Scorched

23127782Title:  Soul Scorched
Series: (Dark Kings #6)
Author:  Donna Grant
Format:  Print
Length:  352 pages
Publisher:  St. Martin's Paperbacks
Rating:  5 Stars

Darcy was floating on a cloud of pure passion. Everywhere he touched, Warrick was leaving a mark on her, forever changing her. She could feel it through her skin and muscle, through bone and into her soul. It was as if he was changing her. And she welcomed it…

Her power is a blessing.

Born on the Isle of Skye, Darcy is a beautiful woman of many gifts. Fortune-telling is her forte, and she remains the only Druid who could unlock the secrets—and desires—of a Dragon King. His name is Warrick. And now that Darcy’s seen into his dragon heart, nothing will ever be the same…

His passion is a curse.

Warrick never intended to put Darcy in harm’s way. But ever since she revealed a shocking truth, Darcy has been hunted by the Dark Fae, who want to use her powers for their own evil purposes. Now it’s up to Warrick to do whatever it takes to keep the woman who sets his soul on fire safe. But protecting Darcy means putting himself—and his entire race—in jeopardy. Is his desperate longing for one woman worth the risk of losing everything… for eternity?

Dive into Soul Scorched, the sizzling next novel in the Dark Kings series from New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant.






EXCERPT
Where did you go?” she asked. “You looked by turns concerned then angry, and I know you weren’t listening to me because I called your name twice.”
Warrick walked past her to the conservatory and clicked off the lights. He checked the spells, making sure they were all still in place.
“You’re freaking me out,” Darcy said from behind him.
He faced her then. “Have you ever slept here?”
One auburn brow rose. “No. Why are you asking?”
“We have a wee bit of a problem.”
“A wee bit?” she repeated. “It can’t be wee if it means I can’t leave the shop, and that’s exactly what you’re implying, isn’t it.”
Warrick walked to her and gently grasped her arm to guide her back into her office area. Once there, he reluctantly released her. “The Dark are here.”
“Here?” she asked in a voice that wobbled slightly. “We put up spells.”
“Aye, and it should keep them out.”
“But I can’t get home, to the one place I know they can’t reach me.”
Soul Scorched
“I’m afraid so.”
“How many are there?”
Warrick knew where she was headed with the question. “Too many. There are ten surrounding this building, and there are more on the way to your flat. We’d never make it.”
“They are persistent.”
Her quip didn’t hide the fear he saw in her fern green eyes. Warrick didn’t want her frightened. He wished to see her smile back, to see her gaze alight with mischief.
“I guess it’s good I didn’t eat all of my sandwich for lunch,” she said with a tight laugh. “I’ll split what’s left with you.”
Warrick waved away her words. “There’s no need. I’ll be fine.”
“And if we’re here for days?”
“No’ going to happen,” he promised.
That made her relax. “Good to know. So. What do we do?”
“Anything you want other than going outside.”
“Just when I was looking forward to a hot bath and my bed,” she said with a grin.
Warrick looked at her mouth as he recalled how close they came to kissing. If only Rhi hadn’t arrived, he would know how sweet Darcy tasted.
“How did you know about the Dark outside?” she asked.
Warrick tamped down his desires and focused on her words. “The Kings have a mental link. We can converse that way.”
“Do you get tired of always having someone in your head?”
“We have the ability to keep our minds shut, and only allow another in if we want.”
“Nice,” she said with wide eyes. “Do you have the ability to know who is trying to talk to you?”
Warrick found it hard to believe that he not only didn’t mind talking to Darcy, but that he wanted it to continue. He enjoyed her responses, and liked trying to figure out how she might respond to something. The fact she kept surprising him was only a bonus.
“Aye,” he answered. “All dragons spoke mentally until the Kings were able to shift.”
“It’s all so fascinating. A little scary, but intriguing.”
His spirits dampened a bit. “So I frighten you?”
She stared at him a moment before she gave a shake of her head. “The idea of the Dragon Kings, a wee bit,” she said, using his words from earlier. “But not you.”
They were just two steps apart, each on a side of the tiny office. He couldn’t remember the last time he wooed a woman.
Darcy was unlike any human he ever encountered. She was smart, sassy, and considerate. She smiled at him, laughed with him, and didn’t so much as bat an eye when he grew uncomfortable trying to find the right words.
She was obstinate, tenacious, compassionate, and sexy as hell.
It wasn’t just her beauty that captivated him, it was her mind and her conversation. She charmed him from the first moment they spoke, and he hadn’t been able to look away since.
He wanted her. Desperately.
He craved, he hungered.
He yearned.
All for her.
Their gazes were locked, the air thick with desire. Warrick closed the distance between them. He rested one hand on her waist and other around her back.
Her lips parted slightly as her hands came to rest on his chest. He lowered his head slowly, her eyes drifting shut just before their lips met.
My Thoughts
Dark Kings is a series that just keeps getting better. Some 6 books in, and there still seems to be nowhere to go but better still.
Soul Scorched features Warrick, Jade Dragon King, and more to the point, his stellar leading lady, Darcy.
Why do I make such a distinction between Warrick and his leading lady at such an early point in my review?
The answer to that is simple.
The story...is...about...her!

That's right!

This story is all about a human, Druid, from the Isle of Skye, who opens a Pandora's box, and winds up in the middle of a WAR!
Oh yeah!
There's also the part where she...
Ahhh...Ahhh...Ahh
Can't tell the whole story here.
But I can tell you this.

For the most part, Warrick is one of the more mild mannered of the dragons.  He spends a lot of his time either behind the scenes, or playing peacemaker.  So, seeing him front and center, saving Darcy from the Dark Fae is quite the surprise.
It seems that the Dark Fae are getting bolder than ever.  Even endeavoring to show themselves in broad daylight.
In answer to this, Constantine is forced to send his dragons closer to humans and human detection.
Unknowingly putting one of his dragons closer to the choice between duty and love than anyone ever thought possible.

The Reason?
To put it mildly. Darcy is a girl in very, very, deep (insert appropriate expletive here.)  But that is what happens to anyone who helps exiled Dragon King, and all around bad guy, Ulrik.
In her defense, she never knew the half of what she was getting herself into.  He didn't exactly come with a warning label.
 But Darcy is also a girl who proves time and time again that she is unafraid to stand toe to toe with the best of them, and unafraid to defend her actions.
Which is a good thing, because she spends most of her time doing just that.

It seems that Darcy has the ability to bring out that bad in just about everybody.  Constantine is so convinced that she is working for Urik that he interrogates her relentlessly.  Even though he is the one who calls for her protection in the first place.
The Dark Fae want her for...well?
And...then there's Ulrik?
Is it any wonder that she chooses the gentle and understanding Warrick as her go to?

Webs...upon webs...upon webs.  Bravo Miss Grant.
There is so much here to get angry, curious, upset, or just plain intrigued about.  That one is always anticipating the next word, sentence, paragraph, or page.
Things are lightening fast and frying pan hot, both plot and action wise; from the start of this book, right through to the end.
With focus shifted much further away from the Dark Fae side of things.  Readers are once again seeing a tale that is all about the dragons.  Well, them and a few pissed off Druids.  The Dark Fae meanwhile, are relegated to some very choice fighting scenes, and Rhi's part of the story. 

As always, no Dark Kings novel would be complete without all of the toe curling sex, and passion that have become trademarks of this series.  But be prepared to lose your heart this time around.  Because while Darcy does get her happily...
There are more than a few surprising storm clouds marring her walk into the sunset.

About Donna
Donna GrantDonna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels and novellas spanning multiple genres of romance.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Her childhood dream was to become a professional ballet dancer and study under the amazing Mikhail Baryshnikov. Though she never got to meet Baryshnikov, she did make it to New York City and performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Later, Donna’s love of the romance genre and the constant stories running through her head prompted her to sit down and write her first book. Once that book was completed, there was no turning back.

Donna sold her first book in November 2005 while displaced from Hurricane Rita, a storm that destroyed portions of the Texas Gulf Coast. Since then, Donna has sold novels and novellas to both electronic and print publishers. Her books include several complete series such as Druids Glen, The Shields, Royal Chronicles, Sisters of Magic, Dark Sword, Dark Warriors, and her new series, Dark Kings.

Despite the deadlines and her voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two young children, four cats, three fish, and one long haired Chihuahua. She’s blessed with a proud, supportive husband who loves to read and travel as much as she does.


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