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I am Lover of romance, who indulges in the romantic adventures of literature

My name is Renee, and I am the host of this site. I am a 34 year old woman, on the prowl for her mate, searching out the best of books, exploring the wilds of the imagination and delving into the heart of a beautiful love story.

 

Book Review-Golden Dynasty by Kristen Ashley

by | Jan 31, 2018 | Book Reviews | 6 comments

Book Review-Golden Dynasty by Kristen Ashley

Book Review-Golden Dynasty by Kristen AshleyThe Golden Dynasty by Kristen Ashley
Also in this series: Wildest Dreams, Fantastical , Broken Dove
Series: Fantasyland #2
Published by Self Published By Author on August 22nd 2011
Genres: Fantasy Romance
Narrator: Tillie Hooper
Length: 17 Hours and 24 Mins
Pages: 530
Format: Audiobook
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four-half-stars

Circe Quinn goes to sleep at home and wakes up in a corral filled with women wearing sacrificial virgin attire - and she is one of them. She soon finds out that she’s not having a wild dream, she’s living a frightening nightmare where she’s been transported to a barren land populated by a primitive people and in short order, she’s installed very unwillingly on her white throne of horns as their Queen.

Dax Lahn is the king of Suh Tunak, The Horde of the nation of Korwahk and with one look at Circe, he knows she will be his bride and together they will start The Golden Dynasty of legend.

Circe and Lahn are separated by language, culture and the small fact she’s from a parallel universe and has no idea how she got there or how to get home. But facing challenge after challenge, Circe finds her footing as Queen of the brutal Korwahk Horde and wife to its King, then she makes friends then she finds herself falling in love with this primitive land, its people and especially their savage leader.

Golden Dynasty is a brilliantly written love story that takes us back to this epic series, to a fated couple..a barbarian warrior king and his queen—dangers around every corner, intensity at the corners of each page and a heart felt romance that will capture your heart….

Golden Dynasty is the second book in the stunning Fantasyland series and I will be honest…I was expecting a book more like book one to be honest. Now this is the same world but we have a completely different setting. Instead of ice and snow and civilization, we are dealing with a whole different culture that is more rugged and rough around the edges but is still full of emotion and passion. However I would like to warn you that this book is NOT for everyone. It has dubious consent in the first part of the book so keep that in consideration. However I fell in love with the whole book and it definitely took me back to some of my old favorites in HR. So without further ado let me show you what made this book such an adventure for me here.

Circe Quinn, goes to bed one night and wakes up in a pen of women, she is dressed in strange clothing and she is surrounded by guards with swords…SWORDS!! She feels like its just a dream but it’s a dark reality, one she gets a wide wake up call for. She has somehow been transported to a world of primitive people with strange customs. She is about to be hunted in the forest and be claimed by one of the men. Most of the women with her are excited however excitement is the last thing that Circe is feeling at the moment. She is scared out of her mind. But Circe attracts the attention of the one man that no woman has attracted until now….Dax Lahn is the king of Suh Tunak, The Horde of the nation of Korwahk. Circe is a fighter though and she doesn’t go down easily. She is then claimed by Dax Lahn and set up as his queen.

He has bragged greatly about you. The Lahnahsahna, a true warrior’s wife. He told his people he did not claim you. He told his people he battled you before he won you. He told his people you challenged him. The warrior king’s bride fought like a warrior. She did not lay back and accept her fate. She stood strong and shouted in the face of a king. She fought and did not give up. Even knowing she’d taste defeat, she fought on, like a true warrior. He told his people you are not his queen. You are his warrior queen

At first Circe has no clue how to handle her new situation. But thanks to her newest friend, who is one of the few people that can speak her language helps her with their customs, their language and how to be a queen…. A QUEEN that the Korwahk would die to protect. Despite the language barrier, Dax and Circe begin to share desire and more, their story turns into love and devotion. 

There is SO much that goes on in this book though, its a pretty long book (which I totally don’t mind because I never wanted this book to end) the story really gets good once Circe starts to learn the language and become a true queen to the Korwahk. I loved her strength and courage and what a fighter she is. Dax Lahn likes to call her his “tigress queen” and that is so apt for her. Now our hero….well he is an ASS many times, he is definitely an anti-hero but we see his changes through the book and I really admired the way he grows and allows love change him. And when he makes the “bad” mistakes, Circe definitely makes him work for it and boy does he GROVEL.

(One of my favorite scenes where we see the strength and growth of our heroine as she helps a fellow woman and her warrior )

Your king did not break through with me until his touch stopped taking and started giving and until, in our cham, he treated me with kindness. He is the mightiest of Suh Tunak, recognized the battle he had on his hands, analyzed it, created his strategy and then he went about winning that battle using any means necessary. And, Zahnin,” I edged closer and for the sake of this man who pledged to guard me even if it meant giving his life, who backed me against Dortak and who clearly wanted his wife to settle in her new life with him in his cham, I admitted to him at the same time I admitted to myself, “my Lahn won that battle. I now lay awake at night waiting for him to return. When he does not, I fall asleep looking forward to the morning when he will wake me with his hands. He is my king, he is my warrior, he is my husband and I am proud to say above all…he is mine.

This isn’t an easy love story at all…there is no light or fluff in this book….it works the reader through their paces, pushes you and challenges you sometimes to your limits but it also is very rewarding and seeing this couple overcome the worst to find a love worth fighting for. The reader does need to realize that this isn’t a modern style romance. Its very savage and primitive and is tough as nails but as its soft underbelly that wins you over. I was very impressed though with the way that Kristen Ashley wrote this book.  We see the development in their relationship grow, the sexual tension that is off the charts, we finds a true love tale that you want to last forever and never let go of!! ONE OF THE MOST DEEPLY ROMANTIC TALES I’VE EVER READ!!!

If you’re given the opportunity to look deep enough, you can see a person’s spirit in their eyes but usually, they are guarded, kept safe. Not you, my tigress, the night of your claiming, even in the moonlight, I could see your spirit shining from your eyes. You hold your spirit close to the surface for all to behold and it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

About Kristen Ashley

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

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6 Comments

  1. Melanie Simmons

    I really loved this story. It is my favorite of the series so far (I still have to read the last two books). Didn’t Tillie nail the narration of this book? She rattles off that language like she’s been speaking it for year.

    Melanie @ Hot Listens & Rabid Reads

    Reply
    • Lover Of Romance

      oh yay!! I just ADORED this book and now I am craving any barbarian fantasy romances now because I loved it so much and I need more. Apparently 17 hours wasn’t enough hehe

      And yeah Tillie did an amazing job with the narration, the language especially was brilliant. She did a good job with book one as well. I can’t wait to pick up the rest of the series even though I have heard the the first two books are probably the best of the series. But I adore this genre and I never can get enough.

      Reply
  2. The Book Disciple

    I have this series on my kindle but I haven’t read it. I’m not sure why I haven’t. For some reason I just keep passing it up. I think because I have had hot/cold feelings for KA books in the past and I am just hesitant!

    Reply
  3. Sophia Rose

    Agreed! This one just took things up several notches from Wildest Dreams. I haven’t listened past this one yet, but I have a feeling it will be my favorite of the series. Tillie is the best narrator. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Blodeuedd

    Ugh was this the rapey one, no thank u

    Reply

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