A Crown Forged in Flame

Daughters of the Flame, Book 1

By: J.M. Wallace

Narrated by: Shannon Parker Taing

Every "dream come true" comes with a cost. The question is whether it’s worth paying.

Since Adalina can remember, the men in her life have expected obedience and compliance from her. But how can she give that to them when her destiny is to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and soar upon the dragon’s back?

When the neighboring kingdom of Astarfall insists on an ancient marriage ceremony to wake the slumbering dragon, it seems Adalina’s dreams are at long last within reach. But marriage to an arrogant, smirking Prince—even one as breathtakingly sexy as this one—means placing power and authority in yet another man’s hands.

As a faceless enemy closes in, rumors of a beast summoned from the shadows leave Adalina with little choice: let sleeping dragons lie, or give what freedom she has left to a man she barely knows.

Will Adalina finally fly on the wings of her destiny or will marrying this captivating stranger cost her more than just her dragon and her heart?

A Crown Forged in Flame is the seductive and heart-racing first book in the Daughters of the Flame Trilogy, perfect for readers who love enchanting seaside kingdoms, powerful (yet sleepy) dragons, and an intriguing marriage of convenience trope.
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©2024 J.M. Wallace (P)2024 J.M. Wallace

Captivating!

I will admit when I first started this book it took me a bit to get into it. However, once the story started rolling out I didn’t want it to end. It kept me intrigued, it kept me waiting for what comes next, it was very well written and performed. I cannot wait for the second book.

A great listen!

This was definitely one of my favorite audiobooks in this year. It is hard to find good books that are new stories, new plot and new characters but this had it all if you like dragons you get dragons if you like romance, it had romance. It was a fast pace Story that is good for Romantasy lovers.

Not what I expected...but that's a good thing?

This book was very different from what I expected by reading the blurb.

I love the way the book was written and I would be interested in reading other books by this author.

There are two reasons I couldn't give this book 5 stars. The first is, there's something that the FMC says and does that made me like her less and likewise with the MMC. I'll elaborate on this in the spoiler section if you want to read more. The second reason is that this story has two troupes (not mentioned/hinted at in the blurb) that just aren't a fit for my reading tastes.

With that being said, I am wholly impressed that this author was so good at writing and making me like a story that is outside of my comfort zone.

I'm a bit conflicted on who to recommend this book to so I'm going to be general and say 18+ given the smut content. On page/open door.

Spoilers:
The main couple have trouble keeping their word, either to the other person or themselves and I didn't feel like I got a good enough resolution to this. The tropes that I didn't really expect were The-One-Night-Stand and The-necromancer-villain. If none of that bothers you 100% read this book.

Recalling the Dragon

This was my first experience with this author's work, and I thought it was very entertaining. The story featured one of my favorite tropes that of a marriage of convenience. I admired the worldbuilding. I liked Adalina who was fiery and independent, and I liked Callum who was strong and personable. I appreciated the circuitous route their relationship underwent as they learned to trust one another. I loved the dragon and the magical system. I was entertained by Shannon Parker Taing's narration as she provided different voices for the various characters, and her performance enhanced the story's entertainment. I was given a complimentary copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.