Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a sweet M/M dragon-shifter space-opera romance novella from Amber Kell. MATE CALL is the fifth book in her Dragon Men series, but it was fully enjoyable on its own.
Catch my review and enter to win a $15 GC in the giveaway below!
About the book:
King Zeir had it all, a prosperous kingdom, a fated mate and the love of his people. But when his mate dies he goes half mad with grief and transforms into his dragon form. Unable to get past his sorrow, he pines for the love he never fully knew.
Colton Lanx has known nothing but travel. His parents flew from planet to planet, never settling down. Becoming a navigator was an easy choice to make until an error by his captain forced him down to the planet Dragait.
Two men joined by destiny have to overcome their past if they wish to build a future together.
My Review:
3.5 Stars for this dragon-shifter, space opera, M/M romance.
Colton Lanx is a navigator on an explorer ship who’s got serious problems with his inept, ego-centric captain. Despite his certification, Captain Jael altered Colt’s course coordinates which has brought their starship too close to the atmosphere of Dragait, a planet known to be populated by reclusive dragon shifters. Dragait is the homeland of Colt’s father, Seltin, but Colt has never been there. He’s a half-dragon, though he’s never shifted.
Unable to correct the course in time, Colt joins his crew in evacuating. He’s “rescued” by a space dragon, Baroy, who ferries him safely through the atmosphere.
King Zeir isn’t happy that an escape pod has landed in his kingdom. He hates outsiders, and loathes anyone not of his realm. He’s been in his dragon form for nearly a century, since the loss of his mate, Seltin. Even if they hadn’t fully bonded, Zeir has mourned his loss and doesn’t ever wish to find another mate. The appearance of a newly-shifted golden dragon from the wreckage of the escape pod trips all Zeir’s buttons, however. He feels the mate call, now, far stronger than with Seltin. Learning that Colt is Seltin’s offspring, Zeir is sure his previous mate call was simply for Seltin’s bloodline–and that Colt is his true mate. That’s a small problem, compared to how frustrated he is that he has a mate at all. He doesn’t want to mourn another partner. Add to that, Zeir must confront his father-in-law to be: Seltin, his previously-claimed mate. Gotta cause a bit of discomfort at the wedding, don’t you think?
There’s some machinations regarding the exploration company, Captain Jael, and the interest each man feels for the other. The book moves along at a rather brisk pace, with a couple stops to allow Colt and Zeir to bond. The conflict level is mild, with quick resolution to all difficulties. The sexytimes were good, but not boiling hot. I had expected a bit more steam, to be honest. That said, my biggest issue with the book was dialogue. I’m a firm believer in story-appropriate language, and I often get pulled out of fantasy books–like this one–when the dialogue is too pedestrian. Too everyday, too now. It’s my own hang-up, perhaps, but I really like to feel transported by a fantasy, and hitting speed-bumps in the diction takes me out of the story. Otherwise, it’s a cute breeze-read.
Interested? You can find MATE CALL on Goodreads, Amazon, All Romance, and Smashwords.
Other books in the series: Mate Dance, Mate Healer, Mate Hunt, and Mate Test.
****GIVEAWAY****
Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $15 GC from Amazon or AllRomance–winner’s choice.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!
About the Author:
Amber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building. When she told her husband what she wanted to do with her life, he told her to go have fun.
During those seconds she isn’t writing, she remembers she has children who humor her with games of “what if” and let her drag them to foreign lands to gather inspiration. Her youngest confided in her that he wants to write because he longs for a website and an author name—two things apparently necessary to be a proper writer.
Despite her husband’s insistence she doesn’t drink enough to be a true literary genius, she continues to spin stories of people falling happily in love and staying that way.
She is thwarted during the day by a traffic jam of cats on the stairway and a puppy who insists on walks, but she bravely perseveres.
V's Reads... 