Crucify my Love: Gay Book Reviews: [61-ENG] Review: Secrets Revealed

Series: Dragon War Chronicles

Volume: 2/?
Publisher: A.G. Carothers

Genre/s: LGBT Urban Fantasy

Length: 53 000

Pages: 194

Read in: English
Review copy format: epub

Rate:✮✮✮✬✰✰

Danica, Xander and Aiden remain unconscious and definitely need some medical treatment. Their friends do their best so that all three of them can get help as soon as possible. However, nobody knows what was in the bullet with which the female dragon was shot. When the situation is stable enough that it allows the unconscious to be transported to Toulouse, Kollin sets off for his clan's lab to investigate the samples of the substance from the bullets. Unfortunately, research requires time Danica doesn't have.

I thought it was difficult to review the first volume of "Dragon War Chronicles", but now I know it can be even harder. "Secrets Revealed", the second volume of the series, is not easy to rate in many respects. Let's start with the fact that the action of this installment is not the fastest one, but I don't think it's a disadvantage. Although the beginning of the novel revolves around unconscious Danica, it's pretty good because it allows us to focus on the other characters. It is thanks to this fact that "Secrets Revealed" seems like an almost completely normal, interesting urban fantasy book about friendship and loyalty, in which we also find a theme of love. And such novels I understand and like a lot. However, I don't deny that in this book we also come across the scenes that are not entirely clear in terms of emotions the characters are guided by. I admit that there was a moment when I was wondering what was the real reason behind Matt's oath – loyalty to Danica, or love for Xander and willingness to help him.

We can certainly consider the new and often surprising facts about the characters, events and plot itself as the plus of this volume. What moves this story forward and sets its pace are all these minor events taking place in "Secrets Revealed" which influence the level of our interest in the novel. The same applies to the new characters that we meet in this volume, or those we already know but which we have the opportunity to get to know better. All of them play an essential role in this installment of "Dragon War Chronicles", maybe even more important than anything else we witness here. At least as far as the main plot of the story is concerned, because many smaller, side events turn out to be significant in terms of the private life of the characters already well known to us. And this is undoubtedly a big plus of "Secrets Revealed".

Another advantage of this volume is the fact that we finally see how some of the relationships presented in this series become more clear and official. It is worth noting that these are male-male relationships based on deeper feelings and love – not only sexual but also romantic one. To be honest, I belong to these readers who look for this kind of bond in the vast majority of books they read, so I breathed a sigh of relief when this element of emotional-sexual stability appeared in the novel. For me it's even more important as thanks to it Danica's sexual conquests are no longer in the foreground.

Unfortunately, the advantage of the established relationships in this volume is also associated with a huge drawback, which is the principle: I like you, so I fuck you. In "Secrets Revealed", there are scenes that really remind me of an ordinary porn. And the fact that we are dealing here with the reverse harem motif – one and only Danica and whole hordes of men – is not even important in this case. I think that the fact the main character simply can't keep her legs together and spreads them whenever she can in front of many different partners is a bit distasteful. I won't even comment on that. However, what seems to be the worst is that even after establishing an official bond between two characters, based more or less on feelings and love, we still see how the couple fucks Danica. In other words: "I love you, I want you, we are together, but from time to time I will fuck someone I don't love." Such relationships are definitely not my thing.

In summary, "Secrets Revealed" has its small pros and cons, which clearly show that "Dragon War Chronicles" is not a series for everyone. Undoubtedly, the reviewed novel is interesting and filled with great characters, whom we wish all the best and whose love stories we want to follow. However, at the same time, we must be aware that there is also a lot of typical sex for sex, as some characters simply have an open relationship. If it doesn't bother you, don't hesitate and read "Dragon War Chronicles".

Headcanon: Lucas is very jealous of Aiden, which is why he gives him a beautiful collar.

Fanfiction idea: A double date: Xander and Matt, Aiden and Lucas.

AU idea: Matt has a problem. He fell in love with a ghost. Or more specifically, in the spiritual projection of a man who lies unconscious in a hospital where Matt works as a handyman. As if it was not yet complicated enough, unconscious Xander has a girlfriend who often visits him, although unlike Matt, she doesn't see the ghost of her lover wandering the hospital corridors.

MOODBOARD IN PROGRESS

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Here's some more about:

Book Title: Secrets Revealed: Dragon War Chronicles Book Two

Author: A.G. Carothers

Cover Artist: Angsty G

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Release Date: November 2, 2018

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This series is about dragons who want nothing more than to live in peace, but refuse to be subjugated. In war there's also love, and love is blind. Love doesn't care about gender, race, species (in this case), or sexuality.

Blurb

Last time on Dragon War Chronicles, we left our heroes fighting for their lives in the midst of battle...

Kollin races against time to get samples of the weapon used in Canada to their lab in Oslo. Kenshin races to get Danica back home in time to save her, Aiden and Xander. Danica's allies start to converge in Toulouse in aide and help to prepare for what may come.
Will Kollin be able to help save Danica, Aiden, and Xander before all is lost? Will Matt be able to track down who's responsible for a new weapon that threatens them all? What will happen when Danica's biggest secret is revealed?
Secrets are revealed that will change the future for all dragon and SLIP kind alike.

Warning: This book contains explicit sexual situations that are MM, MF, and MMMF. There are romantic relationships displayed that are MM and some depictions of loving and consensual BDSM relationships. There are also bad puns, a game of tag with an invisible dragon, and lions, jaguars, and bears. Oh my!

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

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Excerpt

Kenshin relaxed back against the hull of the plane again after ending the call with Kollin. This time yesterday everything was fine. How did things get this fucked up, this quickly? Kenshin closed his eyes, and exhaustion started to seep in. The noise of the cargo plane dimmed in his mind with each breath he took.
"I remember when I first met her." JP's voice cut through his attempt at meditation and Kenshin's eyes flew open. JP continued, "She looked no older than fifteen. I thought for sure she was using a fake passport to get into La Trésor. She wouldn't stand down though. She looked up at me, and even though she had an American passport, she spoke in fluent French, which I didn't expect. But I also didn't expect her to stand her ground when I tried to get her to move and go home."
Kenshin was tempted to stop him from telling his story, to shout out that he's being stupid for talking like that. Telling stories like that is something you do when you're talking of the dead and DAMN IT! She wasn't dead yet.
"Cool as a cucumber she looked me in the eye and demanded to speak to the owner. Even the threat of the Gendarmerie didn't sway her, and she didn't try to bribe her way in like most would have. That right there was why I finally made the call up to Olivier. And you know what she did when she finally came face to face with him?”
Kenshin turned his head towards JP. The pack mates closest to them were all looking at JP completely enraptured by his tale. Kenshin didn't know what happened, so he was curious.
JP smiled and gave a little laugh at the memory. "She didn't do what you'd expect someone to do. She didn't yell or demand he fire me. No, not Dani. She said, and I'll never forget this. She said, Whatever you're paying him, double it and put him in charge. She went on to tell him how the other bouncers didn't look twice at her because they were too busy looking at her tits. She said it just like that too. She didn't back down then to get what she wanted, and she's not going to do that now. She's strong, our Dani. She's never backed down from a challenge, and she won't back down from this. We have to have faith because we all know she'd have it in us."
Claps and cheers went up around Kenshin, and he smiled probably for the first time that morning. JP was right, and Kenshin needed to keep in mind how strong she really was. Listening to him made Kenshin think about his own first time with her. He knew when he saw this arrogant kid stride into his father's office in Kyoto, dressed the way she normally does that he just might have a way out from under his father. That he could finally be free for the first time in over two-hundred years. And make no mistake at a fraction of his age, she was a kid, and he had just spent the last sixty years helping his father build Nakamura Industries. But there was something about her, and her business proposal to his father was solid, a little crazy, but solid.
The plane quieted down as everyone settled in for the long flight home. Faith. He had faith in her all those years ago and he'd not waiver now. JP was right. Strength, determination, stubbornness. These were the things that made up their dragon. They were the things that would see her to the other side of this in one piece. Kenshin closed his eyes again and sleep finally took him now that his mind was settled.

About the Author

A.G. Carothers is actually a dragon very cleverly disguised as a human. They are a non-binary author of LGBTQIA Romance and Urban Fantasy, who enjoys writing original and entertaining stories. They are very excited to share the worlds they've created with you.

A.G. currently lives in Tennessee with their platonic life partner, who is not a dragon. They yearn to live back in Europe and will some day. In their spare time they are addicted to losing themselves in the lovely worlds created by other authors

A.G. is committed to writing the stories they see in their head without restrictions. Love is blind and doesn't see gender, race, or sexuality.