Review: The Last Dragon Princess by Cynthia Payne

Synopsis

Her birth was an act of treason.

But now she’s their last hope.

Born with the marks,

She must choose the next King,

And stand against the Gods 

On this world, the created have turned against their Creators. War has raged for generations – the Creators fight to regain their power over the Hisgeii, and the Hisgeii strive to escape enslavement and claim the world as their own. Some Hisgeii are born with intricate, branching red marks on their backs. The marked men are called Shifters and can transform into dragons with magical abilities specific to their caste. The female marked are called Breeders and are treated as royalty amongst the Hisgeii.

Danu is one such Breeder, though her markings came at a steep price. She has recently come of age, and in order to become Queen, the Council has commanded her to choose a mate to be her King.

Danu is of the last generation of Hisgeii with any hope to defeat their would-be enslavers. With time running out, she must navigate the heated political climate, learn what it means to be a marked member of the lowest caste, decipher the complex and torrid history of the war between the Hisgeii and the Creators, differentiate between outright lies and mere twisted stories of ancient legend, fight alongside a flock of dragon Shifters against powerful aliens believed to be immortal gods, deal with a rogue Shifter whose body bares unusual scars, and unite with a mate to decide on the future of her people.

Seems easy enough… except she has only two weeks to do it.

“The Last Dragon Princess” follows Danu as she seeks to lead her people, find her place, and choose a love to balance her as she takes the throne. Fans of dragon shifter fantasy, reverse harems, Greek mythology, and fast-paced adventures loaded with romance and intrigue will love this unexpected and one-of-a-kind epic novel. 

This is a standalone novel with NO cliffhangers!

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Review

This book is absolutely amazing. If you enjoy a good paranormal fantasy then it's a must-read. The story is set in a world of dragons and Creators. It's full of mystery, action, and adventure. It revolves around one breeder and a flock of dragon shifters or warriors, as they are called sometimes. Their job is to fight Creators and keep them from enslaving Hisgeii.

The story starts when young breeder, Danu, and young shifters come off age. They will now enter society and do their duty. As a breeder, Danu must ensure the continuation of shifter's next generation. Although she is nervous about her role and what it entails, she has learned enough to deal with it. However, councilman Calmus has a surprise for her, at the last minute he changes the rules of the game. He pronounces her as their breeder queen and the one who would marry her would become king. That has never happened before. It's bound to ruffle some feathers and cause chaos in this small community. As Danu tries to make up her mind about her next step she finds out things that she probably shouldn't have. In order to make the right decision, she would now lose somethings that are precious to her. No matter what happens next, one thing is for sure, Danu has the best interest of her people at heart and she would do anything to protect them and ensure their survival.

Things get more complicated when the creators come looking for them. It turns out that there is a lot which they don't know about themselves as well as their worst enemies. Divided by castes, will these people be able to stand against an enemy so powerful that even their best warriors don't stand a chance against them... unless there is another way to defeat this time old foe? One thing is for sure, it's going to get far more complicated than it ever was, but maybe this is their chance to reclaim their true identities and finally be able to live in peace.

This story made me imagine primitive Roman society. The story is quite engaging and characters are all well-developed. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend to all fans of dragon-shifters, this one is definitely an original and interesting take on dragons, where they came from, and how they live.

P.S. Can I just say that the book cover is absolutely gorgeous and goes well with the story?

P.P.S. I received a complimentary copy of this book for which I'd like to thank the author. It has been a great read for me.