Fire Born
The Guardian Series
Book One
Rayanne Haines
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Date of Publication: September 13th, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68291-511-0
ASIN: B074WFSD7G
Number of pages: 224
Word Count: 70,000.00
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde
When Alex Taleisin’s immortal DNA kicks in after a fight for her life against something not-quite-human in the YMCA parking lot, her Aunt finally lets her in on the family secret. They’re Immortal – Elementals to be precise. Only, Alex is a little something more, and until they discover what, her life is in danger.
Collum Thronus, Guardian of the Races and savage King of the Dragons has no choice but to protect Alex and find her father’s people. He made a promise and Collum always keeps his promises. Now, he needs to keep his hands of his charge.
Enter an insane grandfather, a shifter with a hidden agenda, and a witch with a shoe addiction and soon Alex is wishing for a quiet house in the hills with the dragon she’s falling for. But a battle is coming and Alex knows the only way to find her answers is to trust her powers and become the warrior she was destined to be.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/ynTV7nxjUsc
Review:
This is my first time reading a fantasy book with dragons in it. I have been trying to think really hard, as I am sure I must have in the past, but nothing is coming to me at the moment other than GoT and even then, not the same type of dragons.
So here we have a really interesting world with well dragons, elementals, witches and us normal humans! The story here is focused on Alex an Elemental that has been hidden from birth for the others of her kind and there is a lot of back story that goes back centuries attached to her. She at the beginning of the book was not aware of any of it and discovers it as she goes along.
To think, that is not too different from the plot lines of some of my recent Fantasy/Paranormal reviews and you know that, that always works because it gives you a lot of drama and possibly entertaining events in a book.
Fire Born is no different in that way, that I really enjoyed very much the world created for the story as well as Alex. To be thrown into this is not easy, and I think all things considered, she is handling herself quite well!
Should I mention that Alex meets a sexy dragon?
Well, I guess I just did and he is something all right…
I will say that Fire Born, was truly entertaining and it was a smart combo of mystery, romance and magic! I have noticed recently that I am growing more addicted to that combo of a little genre mix that makes for some outstanding work (at least for me).
On top of Alex and Collum, there are a really wonderful slew of secondary characters and I am really very keen on them getting their own stories; I do strongly believe that I will get my wish in the future!
In the meantime, I am going to recommend Fire Born to you and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did!
Excerpt:
Alex refused to
break eye contact. Something inside clawed at her flesh—reaching for the man in
front of her. Her knees buckled as he pressed his face to her neck. She held
his shoulders as he lifted her, sat her on the kitchen counter, and stepped
between her thighs. The whole time he kept breathing in like he was trying to
absorb her. His hands were brands on her skin. One palm stroked her back, the
other found its way into her hair.
break eye contact. Something inside clawed at her flesh—reaching for the man in
front of her. Her knees buckled as he pressed his face to her neck. She held
his shoulders as he lifted her, sat her on the kitchen counter, and stepped
between her thighs. The whole time he kept breathing in like he was trying to
absorb her. His hands were brands on her skin. One palm stroked her back, the
other found its way into her hair.
She pressed her
body against his, trying to take on his heat. Her breasts crushed against his
chest, and she whimpered in the back of her throat. Things like this didn’t
happen to her. She usually dated journalists with very un-dragon like qualities
or weekend mountain men with annoyingly trendy facial hair. She did not get
ravished by drop dead, slam-dunk, gorgeous alpha males, in her aunt’s kitchen.
body against his, trying to take on his heat. Her breasts crushed against his
chest, and she whimpered in the back of her throat. Things like this didn’t
happen to her. She usually dated journalists with very un-dragon like qualities
or weekend mountain men with annoyingly trendy facial hair. She did not get
ravished by drop dead, slam-dunk, gorgeous alpha males, in her aunt’s kitchen.
After this
morning’s revelations, she was ready for a bit of sinning. She nipped at his
neck. His grip tightened as he growled low and deep. Somewhere in the back of
her mind, Alex realized she was ready to have sex with a stranger on her aunt’s
kitchen counter, with said aunt in the other room, perhaps even on her way back
to this room. Awareness crashed in with a resounding thud.
morning’s revelations, she was ready for a bit of sinning. She nipped at his
neck. His grip tightened as he growled low and deep. Somewhere in the back of
her mind, Alex realized she was ready to have sex with a stranger on her aunt’s
kitchen counter, with said aunt in the other room, perhaps even on her way back
to this room. Awareness crashed in with a resounding thud.
He stepped back
and shoved his hands through his hair in jerky movements before drawing a
ragged breath. “I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened. You’re at a critical
point in your transition, and that makes your heat difficult to ignore . . . It
will likely get worse as it grows.” His jaw clenched. “I should have been more
prepared.”
and shoved his hands through his hair in jerky movements before drawing a
ragged breath. “I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened. You’re at a critical
point in your transition, and that makes your heat difficult to ignore . . . It
will likely get worse as it grows.” His jaw clenched. “I should have been more
prepared.”
Alex blinked,
her mind jumped from one thought to the next.
her mind jumped from one thought to the next.
“Did your aunt
tell you what’s happening?”
tell you what’s happening?”
“What?” She
shook her head. “What the hell? Aunt Quinn!” she yelled, jumping off the
counter to back away. Pulling her housecoat tighter around her neck, she
snapped, “Are you kidding me? You can’t do that. And I’m not sending out heat,
asshole!”
shook her head. “What the hell? Aunt Quinn!” she yelled, jumping off the
counter to back away. Pulling her housecoat tighter around her neck, she
snapped, “Are you kidding me? You can’t do that. And I’m not sending out heat,
asshole!”
He held up his
palms in surrender. “I said I’m sorry. We don’t have time for this. There are
people who will hurt you if they know you’re still alive. I need to get you
somewhere safe.”
palms in surrender. “I said I’m sorry. We don’t have time for this. There are
people who will hurt you if they know you’re still alive. I need to get you
somewhere safe.”
A panic attack
pushed at the edge of her temple. Confused and turned on, she needed a goddamn
coffee. She refused to give control of the situation to him. “So, you’re some
kind of dragon thing? And I’m supposed to go away with you?”
pushed at the edge of her temple. Confused and turned on, she needed a goddamn
coffee. She refused to give control of the situation to him. “So, you’re some
kind of dragon thing? And I’m supposed to go away with you?”
Collum sighed and
gritted his teeth. “Yes, something like that. Your enemies will make a move
soon. As soon as they find out you live, they’ll come after you, and me for my
part in it. We hoped your element wouldn’t surface.”
gritted his teeth. “Yes, something like that. Your enemies will make a move
soon. As soon as they find out you live, they’ll come after you, and me for my
part in it. We hoped your element wouldn’t surface.”
“I’m expected to
believe everything Aunt Quinn said was real. Just like that?”
believe everything Aunt Quinn said was real. Just like that?”
“Yep.” He blew
more smoke at her mouth, his gaze intense. “Just like that.”
more smoke at her mouth, his gaze intense. “Just like that.”
She stumbled
back. “Wait, do you know who my father was?”
back. “Wait, do you know who my father was?”
“I don’t. But
now that you’re transitioning, we need to find out before the elders do. They
tend to dislike things more powerful than them. And if I’ve guessed right, you
kid, are about to be far more powerful.”
now that you’re transitioning, we need to find out before the elders do. They
tend to dislike things more powerful than them. And if I’ve guessed right, you
kid, are about to be far more powerful.”
He pulled at a
stray thread on her housecoat, right above an old coffee stain. “You need to
put some clothes on.” Collum reached for her hand. “We have to go now.”
stray thread on her housecoat, right above an old coffee stain. “You need to
put some clothes on.” Collum reached for her hand. “We have to go now.”
Alex yanked her
hand back. She knew if she let him touch her they’d be on the floor. She didn’t
know if she trusted him, but she’d learned over time to trust herself. Aunt
Quinn hadn’t told her enough, but it was enough to know she wanted to find out
more. Now she had to figure out why her parents were killed. If sex dragon guy
could keep her alive long enough to do that, then she’d go with him. She took a
steadying breath. She didn’t usually feel small around men, but this giant
dwarfed her. Instead of being frightened, she wished he’d lean down and cover
her mouth with his. He grinned like he knew what she was thinking, took her
hand in his larger one, and
hand back. She knew if she let him touch her they’d be on the floor. She didn’t
know if she trusted him, but she’d learned over time to trust herself. Aunt
Quinn hadn’t told her enough, but it was enough to know she wanted to find out
more. Now she had to figure out why her parents were killed. If sex dragon guy
could keep her alive long enough to do that, then she’d go with him. She took a
steadying breath. She didn’t usually feel small around men, but this giant
dwarfed her. Instead of being frightened, she wished he’d lean down and cover
her mouth with his. He grinned like he knew what she was thinking, took her
hand in his larger one, and
rested his other
on her hip. Alex almost purred with the echo of his heat. She reached to touch
the smoke pouring out the strands of his hair. Quinn walked in before she had a
chance.
on her hip. Alex almost purred with the echo of his heat. She reached to touch
the smoke pouring out the strands of his hair. Quinn walked in before she had a
chance.
“Honey I have .
. . oh.”
. . oh.”
Alex wished she
could sink into the blue wall paper, but he simply raised his head and
could sink into the blue wall paper, but he simply raised his head and
took one step
back. He gave his head a slight nod. “Quinn, I presume.”
back. He gave his head a slight nod. “Quinn, I presume.”
She responded
the same. “Dragon King.”
the same. “Dragon King.”
“You have her
things ready to go?”
things ready to go?”
All business,
she handed the bag to him. “Everything is here; passport, extra clothing, all
she handed the bag to him. “Everything is here; passport, extra clothing, all
her
necessities.”
necessities.”
“Good. We won’t
have time to stop. I won’t make contact again for a few days, but I
have time to stop. I won’t make contact again for a few days, but I
assure you I’ll
let nothing happen to her. I promised Kaylen, and I never break a vow.”
let nothing happen to her. I promised Kaylen, and I never break a vow.”
Alex interrupted
them. “Um, hello. I’m right here you know. How about you both talk to me,
instead of over me? Besides, I haven’t agreed to go anywhere yet.”
them. “Um, hello. I’m right here you know. How about you both talk to me,
instead of over me? Besides, I haven’t agreed to go anywhere yet.”
Collum
stiffened, and glared at her.
stiffened, and glared at her.
She stomped her
foot. “I’m not a child. I’ll make my own decisions, thank you very much.”
foot. “I’m not a child. I’ll make my own decisions, thank you very much.”
He snorted and
turned back to Quinn. “Say your goodbyes. I’ll be in the car.”
turned back to Quinn. “Say your goodbyes. I’ll be in the car.”
He strolled out
of the kitchen like it was any other day of the week—not like her life had been
ripped to pieces.
of the kitchen like it was any other day of the week—not like her life had been
ripped to pieces.
Quinn dropped
the bags at her feet and rushed toward her. “I told you he was impatient. You
really have no choice, my darling. I swear on my life that we’re telling you
the truth. This must happen. You’ll be safe—he can control your fire.”
the bags at her feet and rushed toward her. “I told you he was impatient. You
really have no choice, my darling. I swear on my life that we’re telling you
the truth. This must happen. You’ll be safe—he can control your fire.”
Quinn handed her
a yellow tank top and a pair of sweats. “Now put these on. You can’t run for
freedom in a Hudson’s Bay housecoat. It’s undignified.”
a yellow tank top and a pair of sweats. “Now put these on. You can’t run for
freedom in a Hudson’s Bay housecoat. It’s undignified.”
“But I haven’t said
yes yet. It’s—”
yes yet. It’s—”
“No, Alex,
stop.” Quinn hugged her. “I love you with all my heart. But you have no say in
this. You must go now.”
stop.” Quinn hugged her. “I love you with all my heart. But you have no say in
this. You must go now.”
Alex held on to
her aunt as tight as she could for a final minute, then stepped away. “I love
you too, Quinn.”
her aunt as tight as she could for a final minute, then stepped away. “I love
you too, Quinn.”
Five minutes
later they walked out to Collum’s vehicle. After a final kiss to her aunt, Alex
climbed in the vehicle and looked at her would be savior. “Okay, Dragon Boy.
Let’s go find out who Daddy is.”
later they walked out to Collum’s vehicle. After a final kiss to her aunt, Alex
climbed in the vehicle and looked at her would be savior. “Okay, Dragon Boy.
Let’s go find out who Daddy is.”
About the Author:
Rayanne Haines is a published poet, romance fiction author, and arts manager.
She writes Paranormal Romance with Kick-Ass Heroines. She believes in magic and legend and all the things we cannot see. Rayanne prefers her alpha males a little gritty and the women who love them, in charge of their own destiny.
Fire Born is the first book of the Guardian Series published by Soul Mate Publishing. Magic Born is available June 2018.
Website and newsletter sign up – http://www.rayannehaines.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/inkrayanne
Thank you so much for sharing my book and for the wonderful review 🙂
Thank you Rayanne, so happy that you came to visit! It was a good story and I loved it very much! I hope to read more from you soon! xoxo