“As a fantasy, the shifter angle was well considered. I liked how they maintain characteristics of their dragon selves, even when they assume human forms, and how there are limitations to their magic. Venya brings some interesting magic of her own, which only made her character stronger and more admirable. I also liked that Venya and Alaiya are dark-skinned, which is a contrast to the usual fantasy protagonist. I honestly found myself racing through the story, and not even minding flashback scenes, which usually annoy me because they tend to slow pacing. I just kept finding myself wanting to know more about this richly textured world and anticipating how Ray and Abyss would convince Venya that not only was she desirable, but that they both wanted her very much. […] For readers who love fantasy and MMF stories, this one has as much heart as heat, and plenty of both. It’s a happy ending, with the door open for a sequel where Alaiya will find her mate.”

“This story brings peace to the Firestar Mountains, but it’s forged in blood once again. I liked the pacing of the romance, in that it’s not up-front, but more sedate. Talla respects Alaiya’s boundaries, even if she doesn’t understand them at first. Alaiya’s never had a loving relationship, except with Venya, and that was hard fought, too. Alaiya’s been traumatized by men for many years, so undoing all that trauma requires a light touch, which Talla intuits through fits and starts into physical intimacy. The shifters of the Firestar Mountains are definitely growing in number and variety, and with this expansion comes conflict, but also increased comfort and security. I liked how Alaiya’s gentleness won the wolves to her side, even as they struggled to understand why she didn’t immediately accept Talla’s claim of mate.

I think for a fated-mate romance, this was a really nice twist, in that it allowed Alaiya time to heal from her traumas and to see that Talla wanted to love her, not use her. They had to develop a rapport before they could build intimacy, and that seemed right to me, knowing how much Alaiya was pushed around her whole life.

I definitely enjoyed this imaginative sequel, and would recommend it to readers who enjoy shifter stories and fantasy/paranormal sapphic romances.”