#Review: Night's Blaze by Donna Grant - 5 Wine Glasses

Title: Night's Blaze 
Series: Dark Kings #5
Author: Donna Grant
Format: eBook/Paperback, 320 pages
Published: March 31st 2015 by St. Martin's Paperbacks
ISBN: 1250060737 
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

That one simple kiss slayed him as nothing in his very, very long life had ever done. It physically hurt him to release her and turn his back on everything she offered, but it was for the best.

A KING WHO WALKS IN DARKNESS

The Rhys who has existed for centuries is gone. Stripped of his ability to shift forms, Rhys can no longer embody the majestic, powerful dragon he was at birth. Cut off from his heritage by one of his own, this Dragon King must remain a man, haunted by demons who torment his every waking moment. The darkness would swallow him whole . . . except a woman so beautiful and haunted becomes the one beam of light in his world...

A DESIRE THAT WILL NOT BE DENIED

Lily Ross is taking the first step in building a new life for herself. Still reeling from a relationship that nearly broke her spirit, Lily is wary of her attraction to brawny, brooding Rhys. The passion burning so brightly between them is a potent temptation, but any entanglement is destined to end in disaster. Yet when a spectre from Lily’s past threatens their growing bond, Rhys is forced to choose with his heart, or lose this woman who has become his one chance at salvation... 

Linda's Thoughts:
Only one other time in his career as a spy had Henry felt as if he were thrown to the wolves. He'd nearly lost his life that first time, and he was certain he would this time. It wasn't so much that he was going to die, but the fact that everything he knew --- or thought he knew --- wasn't the whole story.
All he had to do was look into the gold eyes and know that Ulrik held all the cards in this particular game. No matter what the Dragon Kings did, no matter if M15 got rid of all the traitors, no matter if the Dark Fae left Earth, Ulrik was going to win it all.

OMG, OMG, OMG! NIGHT'S BLAZE by Donna Grant is the fifth book in Donna's Dark Kings series. I inhaled it in four serialized installments and am choosing to write this one review for all four. It's a fabulous fantasy read no matter how you elect to enjoy it. Donna never ceases to amaze me with her creative storylines, captivating sexy alpha Highlander dragons, charming damsels in distress, gripping mysteries and dangerous perils. Let there be no doubt that I'm addicted to her Dark Kings... AND NIGHT'S BLAZE is totally awesome! Rhys has been one of my favorite dragon kings through-out this series and we are treated to his story in this installment. Needless to say, it does not disappoint!

First of all, I have to mention the cover... I love it! I dream about staring at that yellow dragon snaking around his torso and having it dance and undulate for me. Ooh la la!

I really liked Lily, our heroine,... and, of course, Rhys is his normal beyond awesome self. When he left Rhys in HOT BLOODED, he had been hit with a deadly combination of dragon and dark fae magic and can no longer shift. In other words, for a dragon, he's suffering the worst kind of hell with no respite in sight.

Lily, who works at Dreagan's store, is recovering from an abusive relationship with a few hiccups. Her digs have been broken into and she keeps seeing glimpses of her abuser - but when she looks back, he's not there, making her think that she's hallucinating. She knows she's not Rhys' type but she's been crushing on Rhys for a while. However, he's been absent for so long, that she's worried about him.

Rhi, my favorite Fae, figures heavily in this tale -she's such a good friend to Rhys. My heart still goes out to her as she is struggling so since the torture she suffered at Balladyn's hands. Henry, the dragon kings' spy friend, gets into some serious trouble as you can see from the quote that opens this review. Other dragon kings and their mates make appearances - so, if you have a favorite from a previous tale (that's all of them for me!), you can catch up with them in this book. 

We see two sides of Ulrik for a change - he's always seemed to be such a bad egg that it's a shock to see that he's not all bad. Don't get me wrong; he's still despicable, but he now shares being wretchedly reprehensible with a new villain. You won't get any more from me on any of this. You're just going to have to read NIGHT'S BLAZE yourself to formulate your own thoughts. Just be prepared to be shocked as Donna treats you to a roller coaster ride with loops and turns galore!

Following please find a few of my favorite non-spoiler quotes from this fantastic read:

"I can talk to him," Rhys offered. "He needs to know you still love him."
"No," Rhi said loudly, her face once more a mask of indifference.
Rhys bowed his head in acceptance. It was the same answer each time he'd asked through the centuries. "As you wish."
---

Rhys lowered his heard, his mouth on hers before he knew what was happening. Her lips moved beneath his, open and eager. He groaned and wound his arms around her. The kiss was ecstasy, bliss --- pure rapture.
Desire blazed through him as hot as dragon fire.
---

"That sigh didna sound good," Rhys said into the silence of the room.
Lily hadn't even realized she had sighed. She listened to the beat of his heart beneath her ear. "Just thinking."
"Anything I can help with?"
How she wished he could. 
Lily opened her eyes to look at his handsome face, a shadow of a beard darkening his jaw. "Unfortunately, no."
"You're no' thinking of that wanker of an ex while in bed with me, are you?" he asked as he cracked open an eye and smiled at her.
She chuckled. "I would never."
"Good, because that could severely damage my confidence."
---

He ordered room service and replaced the receiver. He was on his way to his suit when a robe hit him in the chest. Rhys instinctively caught it and looked up at a grinning Lily.
"You can't be walking around naked," she said. "What will the hotel staff think?"
He winked at her. "They'll think you're a verra lucky lass."

NIGHT'S BLAZE can be read as a standalone without any difficulty if that is your druthers. Any important and necessary information from previous storylines is revealed when necessary. However, I suggest reading all the books in this series as they are all terrific and I know you'll become as engaged with the characters as I am.

The story flows smoothly. I can assure you that once you start reading, you'll be spellbound. I absolutely could not put this book down once I started it. My emotions ran the gamut while reading it: I swooned, laughed, yelled, sighed and cried. Lucky for me, I had all four parts or each part's cliff-ender would have "killed" me. 

This is a MUST READ  for Donna's Dark King fans. I highly recommend NIGHT'S BLAZE to anyone who enjoys sensuous and magical paranormal romances! Now, I'm dying to read the next installment!  SOUL SCORCHED will be Warrick's story and is scheduled to be released June 30, 2015! I can't wait!