🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 #Review of The Rogue King by Abigail Owen

Title: The Rogue King
Series: Inferno Rising #1
Author: Abigail Owen
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Published: July 30th 2019 by Entangled: Amara
ISBN: ASIN B07L86XQ5T
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Kasia Amon is a master at hiding. Who—and what—she is makes her a mark for the entire supernatural world. Especially dragon shifters. To them, she’s treasure to be taken and claimed. A golden ticket to their highest throne. But she can’t stop bursting into flames, and there’s a sexy dragon shifter in town hunting for her...

As a rogue dragon, Brand Astarot has spent his life in the dark, shunned by his own kind, concealing his true identity. Only his dangerous reputation ensures his survival. Delivering a phoenix to the feared Blood King will bring him one step closer to the revenge he's waited centuries to take. No way is he letting the feisty beauty get away.

But when Kasia sparks a white-hot need in him that’s impossible to ignore, Brand begins to form a new plan: claim her for himself…and take back his birthright.

Linda's Thoughts:
He was a big, bad dragon shifter, a breed of male that took Neanderthal to a whole new level.

Abigail Owen delivers an addictive series’ debut with The Rogue King – an action-packed, steamy adventure. It’s a fun, well-written start to her new Inferno Rising series. Kasia Amon, our phoenix heroine, and Brand Astarot, our dragon hero, are awesome characters. I was drawn to both of them from the very beginning.

As the oldest, Kasia she feels responsible for protecting her sisters who are also in hiding. Her mother died so that her daughters could live. Before her mom passed, she trained her daughters well giving them survival skills to enable them to blend in and stay off the radar of the dragon shifters who want them. Thus she’s determined, strong and independent. However, when Kasia sought medical assistance, an unscrupulous doctor at the medical center sold her information.

Brand is a strong, stoic, loyal and brave Gold Dragon who became a rogue after Uther killed his parents and siblings and assumed the Gold throne centuries ago. Brand’s focus is razor-sharp on revenge. As a mercenary for the Blood King of the Blue Dragon Clan, Kasia is only a job to him. He’s to deliver her, untouched, to the Blue King and his reward is to be a place in the clan and allies in his fight to take out Uther.

Thankfully, Brand is the first to show up at the medical center to claim Kasia, but others are hot on her trail. Kasia is a much-sought prize to a Dragon King as the King who mates with a phoenix will be recognized as the High King and rule over all the dragon clans. AND, it’s not just the Dragon Kings on her trail. Other supernaturals want to claim a phoenix for a multitude of reasons.  Needless to say Kasia is a hot commodity and Brand has his hands full protecting her, not only from her pursuers, but from himself.

This book is teeming with witty banter. Following please find a few of my favorite lines from The Rogue King:

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re hot as a giant lizard?”
--- 
“Do you have a thing against knights?”

“Pretty boys who run around slaying dragons to save the fair maiden?” He let the sarcasm dangle for a moment. “Nah. I’m just not one.”
--- 
“What? No unicorns? Maybe a leprechaun or two?”

You have to catch one first,” Brand deadpanned.

There are many special scenes within, but there’s one involving Kasia hot-wiring Brand’s car that is a hoot.

Supporting characters are colorful and intriguing. You know how some first books in a series become burdened with all the introductions and setting up a new series? There’s no boredom within this tale! It’s a page-turner throughout. Maul, Kasia’s faithful hellhound, is a fascinating character. Hellhounds are warriors who died too soon and are reincarnated as hellhounds until they complete their unfinished business. Then, there’s Hershel, a demon who raised Brand with powers that will take your breath away. I’m hoping that Maul’s and Hershel’s life stories are shared in future installments.

Looming over this tale is an extended storyline with a bloodthirsty villain and an evil witch who want Kasia for their own nefarious purposes.

This is the first book I’ve ever read by Abigail, but it won’t be the last. It features wonderful storytelling and great characters set in an intriguing paranormal universe with danger lurking at every twist and turn. It’s passionate with just the right amount of sexual tension and I couldn’t get enough of it!

The epilogue gives readers a hint of whose stories are coming up next.  It appears that the Blue King and Kaisa’s sister, Skylar, may be our next couple. I liked the Blue King and Skylar leaves no doubt that she’ll be a formidable opponent to his stated intentions. I cannot wait!