Burned is the final installment to the Drake Security series from MIKA NIX. This go around we have the unlikely pairing of a dragon with a dragon slayer as his fated mate. I am completely devastated to see this incredible series end. Lord's book was a terrific way to bring the series to a close.
From the blurb:
I never let my dragon take control. Never. Distraught after the death of a friend, I made a mistake…
Finding a beautiful, broken viking on the verge of death in the middle of a forest, all of my instincts screamed at me to save him. My dragon wouldn’t have it any other way. For two-thousand years I’ve saved my mating fire, waiting for fate to bring me true, binding love. But with this stranger only a breath away from the afterlife, I didn’t have a choice.
I can’t really be mated to a dragon slayer, can I? There has to be a way to break this bond before his brothers come looking for him or mine realize what I’ve done.
The only problem is, the more time I spend with the captivating, big hearted man, the more I think that fate might have had a hand in things after all…
Is he feeling it too, or am I about to get burned?
Molly Otto's review:
The wait is finally over! Lord, the head of Drake Security, as well as the brother who has hoped the longest to find his fated mate, finally gets his time. Alrick has grown up to believe all dragons are ruthless monsters and need to be killed on sight in a family raised to kill and shown little to no love. On one fateful evening, the Lord finds a nearly dead Alrick and choose to share his dragon fire, bonding them forever.
This is just the beginning of the story of a dragon and his dragon slayer. Once Alrick is healed, the two go on a journey to sever the bond and once again their separate lives. As we all know, fate doesn't agree, so she shows our men what is like to be wanted and loved from their mate. The action keeps you pulled in throughout as with previous Drake Security books of dragons and their unlikely pairings. I am looking forward to seeing where Mika NIX will go now that the original brothers have found their mates.
Rogue's Review:
- series
- paranormal
- shifters
- fated mates
This is the 5th in the Drake Security series, and it's finally time for Lord's story. This could be read as a standalone but much better enjoyed as part of the series as all the brothers and mates make appearances. Poor Lord has watched all his brothers find their fated mates and that's pretty much all he ever really wanted for himself. I always felt kind of sad for Lord, he was always there helping his brothers yet never finding that missing piece of his soul for himself.
When he finds a dying viking in the forest, his dragon is drawn to him immediately and he doesn't hesitate to mate him to save his life, his dragon knows even if he doesn't. My heart honestly ached for Lord through this one too, knowing he'd found what he always wanted yet being so willing to give it up as he thought it was something he could never have. I liked Alrick too, pushing back against his upbringing with an abusive parent and sibling as best be could, and I loved their story. There's much more dragon in this book than previous stories, that fits perfectly for these two and it was such a joy to read their story and find out how they managed to get their HEA.
If this is the last of the Drake Security series, it's certainly ending on a high note.
SNik's review:
Fifth in series (Drake Security), can be read as a standalone but better if read in order. Series finale. Paranormal. Fated mates. Found family. Impossible relationship. Dual POV.
When Lord saves a dying man by accidentally bonding with him he can’t admit or accept that Alrick is his fated mate, after all Alrick was raised to be a dragon slayer. Even though Alrick doesn’t believe in his family’s mission, meeting Lord solidifies his belief that dragons shouldnt be hunted, and their mutual attraction brings with it all kinds of problems.
Both Alrick and Lord are devoted to their families, and the impossibility of them having a future together overshadows their small moments of connection. Even though the time they spend together is short, they slowly build respect and feelings for each other, aided by the inadvertent bond. I enjoyed that Alrick and Lord were meant to be together and their realistically torn feelings of loyalty to family versus finding their special person. This entire series has been so fun to read, I am sad this is the last of this family of dragons and their special mates.
""Once upon a time there was a sad, lonely dragon who gave up on love, but one day, a mighty Viking showed up and filled the dragon’s heart to overflowing. The two lived happily ever after.
And it was absolutely worth the wait.""
What a perfect way to sum up Lord and Alrick's story! This story was full of angst, lust, grief, betrayal, found family, and of course, love.
I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the books in the Drake Security series so far, each brother has their own uniqueness which I love, and I've always been curious about Lord. In the other books Lord is portrayed as this rigid, tense, older brother, and while he is definitely some of those things, (to a degree), there is so much more to him that that. He's thoughtful, kind, protective, and cares deeply for those around him that he cares about and loves. I liked being able to get to see/know a different side to Lord, him being in love was really cute to see. I'm really glad he found his mate after all this time!
Alrick was a surprise! Whenever I thought about who Lord's potential Nate could be, it never crossed my mind that his mate could be a dragon hunter... But to my surprise, that's who Fate paired him with. And honestly, it was a good pairing. While both these men are different from one another they both yearn for Love, and to have a partner that accepts them for who they are and loves them regardless. The way they met is unconventional, but that's how Fate intended it to be.
As the story went on I got to learn more about Alrick and his family. In the beginning I wasn't sold on Alrick being Lord's mate, I mean... Alrick hunts and kills dragons, right? Overtime though I learned that he wasn't like his father and brother, he has no interest in harming dragons. Throughout the course of the story we not only learn more about Alrick and his family, but we also get to learn more about Lord as well. I loved the relationship building between these two men, it was done so well! What a nice angsty slow-burn, that bubbles into more!
The mysterious dragon mage was quite a unique character, I love her personality and humor. Overall another fantastic story in this incredible dragon series!!
"I want to keep him. The feeling grows more intense with every moment I spend with Alrick. But I can't. I can't. I can't."
I've been waiting for Lord's story I feel like forever! He's the "big bro." The one who is always looking out for his clutch brothers. He's dependable and is usually the calm one when it comes to all the brothers dealing with a crisis. That is what makes it so surprising when Lord's dragon leads him to a man who is dying in the woods. A man who will most definitely not make it unless a miracle happens...or you know, dragon mating fire getting breathed down his throat.
"He smells like home. He smells like mine."
Of course things couldn't just be easy for poor Lord. Find this man, save his life, and live happily ever after in mated bliss. But that isn't the case here. Once Alrick, the man Lord has saved wakes up, it's discovered he's part of a legacy of dragon hunters. Of all the people Lord could bind himself to, a dragon hunter would likely be the worst, at least in his family's eyes. It doesn't matter how much Lord's dragon wants him. Alrick is not theirs to keep.
I really enjoyed the slow burn with this one. Both men are drawn to one another, but they fight it so hard. Alrick has to go against everything he's been raised to believe. Dragons are evil and mindless beasts who will kill you without a second thought. Yet Lord saved him. He could have let him die and yet he saved him. Far from a mindless beast. It couldn't have been easy to learn the truth about all the lies he'd been fed. It also would have been even harder knowing that the man you are falling in love with is someone your family would never approve of. Then again, the reward is having Lord love him in return for an eternity. I don't think anything in the world could top that and thankfully, in the end, neither did Alrick.
Heather's Review:
I can't believe this is the last of the Drake Security books... I've been craving Lord's story for so long, but I had no idea what twists lay in store for the eldest brother... and what kinds of magic he'd need to keep his mate safe... but I loved the story from start to finish! I absolutely loved the slow burn, the angst, the pining... and the lengths Lord would go to make his mate happy!
I can't say that I'm happy that this series is over, but I'm so glad it ended on such a sweet and endearing high. I truly hope that Mika Nix continues to publish more stories.
Burned is currently available as an e-book and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription
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