Review // Embrace of Dragons by Aja James

"You are the heart of me."
"And you taught me to feel," Lancelot returned.
"You are my soul. The source of every emotion I have ever possessed. I did not know the difference between merely existing and truly living until you. You are the sun that warms me."

Embrace of Dragons by Aja James

My Rating - ★★★★★
Standalonish - Dragon Tails #8
Genre - paranormal Romance
Trope - fated mates
POV - multiple 3rd person
Heat - many explicit scenes
Source - beta and ARC provided by the author
Length - approx. 300 pages

Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King of an ancient Isle, finally recovered his heart and awoke from his witch queen’s spell. But he sustained mortal wounds before he was spirited away to “Avalon,” a Celestial Realm beyond human ken. In order to restore him, his life force was bound to another—his First Knight, Lancelot.

There was a time when Arthur loved and admired Lancelot above all men, before the Betrayal. Since the destruction of their shared tormentor, he realized that he’d accused his friend wrongly. But so much time, distance and regret have accumulated between them. So much sadness and pain. A trip to their homeland with Arthur’s newly discovered family reopens old wounds, but also reminds them of how they used to be.

Along the way, they are tasked with the search for the Everlasting Embrace by a mysterious being who speaks to them in dreams.

The end of the world may be just around the corner. Along the way, enemies may become lovers, reluctant friendships may form, and lots of hot, desperate, this-may-be-the-last-time-we-have-sex sex will definitely be had.

And who knows, you too may help discover the…

EMBRACE OF DRAGONS.

Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon

My Two Cents

I can honestly tell you that no one writes romance quite like Aja James. I don't know how this author keeps track of all of details, even the little ones, but I'm down to keep enjoying this journey. Finding out more bits and pieces, discovering and re-discovering how everything fits together... it's a mystery lovers dream!

In Embrace of Dragons, we are given the whole story of characters we've already met—Arthur and Lancelot. And let me tell you, this story is nothing like any of the stories of Camelot I've ever seen, heard or read before.

Without the anchor of hate and the grail of retribution, what did he have left? He was broken shards of bones she'd already sucked dry. A husk of a man that used to be flesh and blood, full of life.

Don't even get me started on the imagery and the almost lyrical tone the author uses when telling a story. In the end, Arthur and Lancelot's story is full of hope, wonder, pain, magic, and so much love. Love that transcends time, distance, and any obstacle thrown in their way.

He would follow this man anywhere.
To forever and beyond.

Here are some of the things I loved about this book (can't share it all because... spoilers):

★ the sex (obvs)
★ the hesitation between Arthur and Lancelot, despite all that they shared. They went to hell and back together and had a hard time adjusting to 'normal'.
★ the almost enemies-to-lovers vibe this book gives off at the start. Arthur and Lancelot are forced together, but they don't talk. Communication doesn't exist. Yet their thoughts, their feelings, their everything is tied to the other. All of that angst gave me life!
★ the absolute cuteness these manly males exhibited when they finally got their ish together.

While Arthur claimed his body, he opened his heart and soul to Lancelot. And it was...
Beautiful.
Frightening.
Magical.
Fierce.
Arthur was...
Everything.

Honestly, there was so much to love about this story. Arthur and Lancelot were these strong, lethal, virile males and yet there was a softness to them, a vulnerability that they only shared with each other. It made what they had all the more beautiful and the author did an incredible job capturing all of that beauty, their warmth, their perseverance when it came to their love, and their inevitability.

With the added hint of what's to come, especially for my sweet, not-so-little Ben, I'm excited to see what's next!

The Author

Best-selling author, Aja James, just completed the Pure/ Dark Ones paranormal-fantasy romance series in 2020. If you want your heart battered, bruised, shattered and skewered, then put back together in the most glorious ways, check out the series below. Every couple gets an HEA, but they fight like hell for it on the way.

Aja is now working on her new series, Dragon Tails, because dragons are her favorite shifters of all!

Check out Aja's expanded distribution of the Pure/ Dark Ones series on Google, Apple, Kobo and Barnes & Noble Books.

Visit https://aja-james.blog for more information!