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Lorenda Christensen

Forfatter af Never Deal with Dragons

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Image credit: author page at Carina Press

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Værker af Lorenda Christensen

Never Deal with Dragons (2013) 47 eksemplarer
'Til Dragons Do Us Part (2014) 9 eksemplarer

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Earth isn’t as we know it today. World War III crippled the economy and most of the earth’s landscape, and an accidental byproduct of genetic splicing has led to a new world order. Humans are no longer the superior race. Dragons are. Not dragon shifters; these are the real deal. DRACIM, Dragon Relations, Arbitration, and Cooperative Interspecies Mediation, was founded to represent both parties and help with a peaceful coexistence. Some humans developed the ability to interpret dragon noises, snorts and huffs into something approximating the human language making communication between the species possible. They are known as dragonspeakers. Myrna Banks is a dragonspeaker and works in the department of Reparations. A simple mission to China, to help negotiate the release of imprisoned scientists, suddenly turns into a dangerous hunt for a weapon of mass dragon destruction, and Myrna finds she has a lot more to lose than just her heart.

Myrna was a delightful character. After the death of her parents, she was raised by foster parents who worked for an elderly dragon. She was well cared and provided for, and that’s where her love and fascination for dragons grew. As an adult, Myrna was dedicated to her job and on a fast track to having a career, until her then boyfriend, Trian Chobarda, ruined those chances and broke her heart. When we meet her, she’s deep in dragon vomit and trying to appease her clients. That opening scene alone on the first page conjured up the most hilarious image. I liked her for her wicked inner monologues, her level of comfort around dragon vomit and animal parts, and the fact that she flipped between bravery and cowardice in the blink of an eye. Trian Chobardan was as sweet as he was intense. He took his duties very seriously, even if it meant having to sacrifice his own happiness. He was pretty reserved for most of the story, except when he went into guardian mode. I could see why he got under her skin so easily and effortlessly. Even if Myrna didn’t want to like him, I sure did!

I didn’t really buy into their chemistry, only because it took them half to three-quarters of the book to resolve their issues from the past. However, the sexual tension was ever present from the first moment since they were reunited, despite her best efforts to ignore it. Since the story is told from Myrna’s POV, we only get her side of the situation until she decides to listen to him. But once they had settled their differences, I loved them as a couple. I just wish it hadn’t taken them so long.

The concept and execution of this story cemented it as a favorite for me. It was rich in humor, imagination, action, and sexual tension. The world building was creative and something I hadn’t read before. I also felt that the author did a fantastic job in detailing the dragons – their appearances, their habits, the different living environments between the US and China, their gross eating habits (um, several cows, goats and pigs were harmed in the making of this story. You’ve been warned). The story moved at a good and believable pace, there were some surprises along the way. I thought the characters were well developed. Of course Myrna stole most of the show, but the author did manage to make a lot of the characters memorable, or rather, identifiable via their unique traits. The romance portion was sweet and sensual. The one love scene wasn’t explicit, so I think this story will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. I laughed, I bit my nails and I cried. Never Deal with Dragons was definitely engaging from the first to the last page.

If you want a different take on a paranormal romance involving dragons and a lot of blood and gore, Lorenda Christensen is a fresh and exciting voice and shouldn’t be missed.

Favorite Moments/Lines:

Trian is explaining to Myrna how he got certain scars.

He grasped my hand and moved it to his chest, just over the center of his heart. He waited until my gaze locked with his. “This one I got a year ago. i was stupid and thought running was a better option than talking.”

~*~

Hop on—we need to get going. I’ve asked them to tie you in tight. The drugs I gave you are pretty stout.”

A half hour later, I was flying high—both literally and figuratively.

“Whoo!” I tilted my head back, wondering why the stars were spinning like a sink full of dishwater. “Trian, this upside down flying is awwwweeesooome!”


The rest of her maiden voyage on dragonback just gets funnier from there.
~*~

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Carina Press via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review.
… (mere)
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Markeret
MsRomanticReads | 6 andre anmeldelser | Jan 22, 2016 |
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

I was attracted to the premise of 'TIL DRAGONS DO US PART with a thief trying to rob a dragon's house during a dragon wedding. Basically I was excited to see some dragon or dragon shifter action as they I have not been reading enough books with dragons in them lately. Savannah being a dragonmorph thief let to some really unique ways she used her abilities to steal objects. I liked seeing Savannah try and figure out just how she was going to rob Lord Relobu's house during a wedding. The plot moved pretty well and has some amusing moments though I probably would have enjoyed the world better if I had read the previous books in the series.

While I liked the premise I was not feeling the romance between Cameron and Savannah. Perhaps it was due to the shorter length of the book but they seemed to go from just meeting to falling in love with absolutely no build up in between. This wasn't the magical insta-love that happens in paranormal romances which I accept and understand if its explained logically. This was completely random and I felt no connection between these two at all especially since they don't spend all that much time together in the story.

The side characters were pretty amusing and quirky in their own rights. I was a bit confused as to the actual size of the dragons in comparison to the humans though. Dragon scale and romance issues aside, 'TIL DRAGONS DO US PART was a satisfying light dragon romance for the dragon shifter lover in your life.
… (mere)
 
Markeret
kryssi | Oct 31, 2014 |
I was in the mood for a dragon book and what did I find on Netgalley but NEVER DEAL WITH DRAGONS, Lorenda Christensen’s debut with Carina Press. It was kismet. NEVER DEAL WITH DRAGONS was the perfect read: a great mythology, interesting characters, an unpredictable plot, and strong writing.

Let’s start with the mythology. Christensen has created a really original mythology. In this world, dragons came into existence as an unexpected side effect to the search for the cure for cancer. In the near future, a doctor manages to cure cancer, mixing human and reptile DNA along the way. His assistant disposed of the samples by pitching them into an incinerator and poof, dragons! Humans didn’t realize they existed until ten years later, when they were well into breeding. Humans quickly found themselves at the whims of dragons, some of whom are more benevolent than others.

The leading lady in NEVER DEAL WITH DRAGONS, Myrna, works for DRACIM, Dragon Relations, Arbitration and Cooperative Interspecies Mediation. She was a rising star until the incident mentioned in the description so her meet-cute in NEVER DEAL WITH DRAGONS is less cute and more bitter and resentful. Her extreme unease makes for some great reading, and really sets the pace and strong emotions for the rest of the novel. Trian inspires super emotions in Myrna and their relationship has a lot of ups and downs.

NEVER DEAL WITH DRAGONS also has an engaging and unpredictable plot. Myrna ends up working with Trian — quite reluctantly — because it’s a great opportunity for her to get her career back on track. It’s a storyline that places them in great physical danger and a lot of emotional strife, making this a really gripping novel. I was honestly surprised by some of the twists in the plot and I do love it when an author can throw me an unexpected moment.

All in all, NEVER DEAL WITH DRAGONS is a great paranormal romance and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, sexy read.

http://ireadgood.wordpress.com
… (mere)
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Markeret
jthorburn | 6 andre anmeldelser | Feb 15, 2014 |
Originally posted on These Pretty Words

I’ve been on a shifter kick lately. Most of the books I’ve read have been about wolf shifters but when I saw a dragon shifter book, I decided I had to give it a chance. The book is written from the point-of-view of Myrna Banks, administrative assistant to a worthless boss at DRACIM – Dragon Relations, Arbitration and Cooperative Interspecies Mediation. Paper pusher? Sounds like it. But when a book opens with a line like “It’s amazing how often my day starts with a three-legged dragon and an enraged dairy farmer”, I’m pretty sure the character’s going to give us more than just a new file plan.

From the first chapter, I loved Myrna. Snarky, smart, full of moxy – this was a leading lady after my own heart. I wanted to hop on over into her world, head to a bar and have a chocolate martini with her while complaining about workplace politics and the restrictiveness of the pencil skirt. And then along comes Trian.

My attraction was disgusting. More than that, it was damned inconvenient.


Oh Trian. I wanted to hate him. He’d stolen something important to Myrna and left her to clean up his mess, the weasel. And yet there was something about him that made my heart flutter every time his name was brought up. Strong, handsome, confident…everything that makes my heart swoon like a thirteen-year-old at a One Direction concert.

Myrna and Trian are pulled into a dangerous negotiation with a nasty dragon lord, and they dragged all that baggage from their failed relationship along with them. The interaction between the two was a total rollercoaster – from attraction to anger to denial to surrender – they kept me scrolling through the pages just waiting to see what could possibly happen next. And what Lorenda did so well in this book was write both these main characters with wonderfully strong personalities. Neither was going to dominate the other, neither was going to go down without a fight, and that made for some seriously fantastic interaction.

Despite my best efforts to forget him, Trian had been a near-constant companion since the night he left. I might have hated him, but I loved him just as passionately.


I’ve given Never Deal with Dragons four stars on Goodreads and will definitely be reading more from the series as they are published. Whether you are a dragon-lover, a shifter-lover or just someone looking for a book with some fabulous banter, Never Deal with Dragons should definitely be added to your to-be-read list immediately.
… (mere)
 
Markeret
ThesePrettyWords | 6 andre anmeldelser | Sep 23, 2013 |

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Værker
3
Medlemmer
68
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#253,411
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½ 3.3
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8
ISBN
7

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