Made with love
© Victoria Gryson 2025
With the queen dead we thought all our problems were over, but they’ve only just begun.
Dragon eggs have been stolen.
The country is on the brink of war
And my prince, my lover has asked me to be fitted for new dresses.
My lover, my prince is trying to fit us into the new world order.
To try and take the throne and hold the country together during the war that is coming.
But at what cost?
He’s forcing Flynn to become the new Duke of Skane.
He’s keeping Brom at arm’s length, despite their love.
And me?
I was told I’d never become queen-in-waiting,
But now it’s looking like I’ll need to take the throne anyway.
To become a figurehead, something to stir men to take up arms and fight for our survival.
Trouble is, I was never good at staying confined to the role’s assigned to me.
Nevermere has been ruled by queens since time immemorial, both human and dragon both.
I can’t stand by and watch men squabble over how to save our country.
If it means stepping forward, becoming a Dragon Queen
Then that’s what I’ll do.
I just hope that in saving the country, I don’t destroy the men I’ve come to love.
We’ve been waiting for this final book of the series for a while, and I’m so happy it’s finally here!
I recently reread books 1 and 2 to prepare myself, and I’m happy I did. I needed the refresher, as so much was happening at the same time.
So, having reached the end, what are my thoughts?
Honestly, the first half of this book was a bit of a struggle 🙁
We continued right where we left off in the previous installment (and what an ending that was!), but things started slowing down considerably afterward.
I know the author had to line up everything to continue forward, but in my opinion, it felt a bit too drawn out.
I also think a significant part of my frustration came from Draven… I mean, I love the guy, but by the Gods, I hate him as well. Saying one thing and the next day doing a complete reversal. Not once, not twice, nope… pretty much the whole time! I wanted to strangle him so badly.
As for the other men, Flynn was very needy, which while consistent felt grating, and I rly wished we had more time to get to know Soren, our drill master, who was very quiet and off to the side much of the time. Ged can do no wrong, and our noble Brom would have been amazing if he hadn’t been as self-sacrificing as he was. But then again, people aren’t perfect! So who am I to judge all these complex and well-written characters, flaws, and all?
But Draven? Nope, that dude was on my shitlist for pretty much the whole series.
As for Pippin, the few times she acted as a queen, I cheered her on so hard! It was amazing when she stood up for herself, her men, and her dragons.
But most of the time, she reverted back to someone who was easily swayed by Draven (and other people), which was disappointing 🙁
As I said earlier, the pacing and flow were slow in the first half of the book, but once you get through it and get right back into all the action, it’s a smooth and thrilling ride to the end!
The book had 462 pages, spread over 66 chapters (all from Pippin’s point of view), and a heartwarming epilogue that had me sigh (in a good way, I promise!) 😀
It was well written with no (noticeable) errors. There was plenty of spice, but none over the top or too descriptive.
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book, and I’m glad I’ve finished it. Overall, it was a great and enjoyable series, but that last book took some work to get through.
If you’re a fan of dragons, dragon riders, complex plots, and reverse harems (did I mention dragons?), this series is definitely for you!
© Victoria Gryson 2025