What A Dragon Should Know

Not quite as super-funny as some of the other installments, but still excellent!<br><br>M'kay. Not to poop on the parade, but I had to do some mental editing when it came to our hero.<br>Let me explain why..<br><b>Gwenvael has long blonde hair.</b><br>Now, when I think of long blonde hair on men my mind wanders into two distinctly different directions. <br><br><b>A) Growr!</b><br> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1416931113i/12120030._SX540_.jpg" width="400" height="250" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>And <br><br><b>B) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter</b><br> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1416931113i/12120031.jpg" width="300" height="400" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><br>Alrighty, it's not <i>just</i> long blonde hair, though.<br>Gwenvael is described as having blonde hair that comes <b>below his knees</b>.<br>To me, this isn't sexy.<br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1416930739i/12119961._SY540_.jpg" width="300" height="350" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>So. I very quickly pulled out my 'mental scissors' and gave that boy a trim.<br>You're welcome.<br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1416931852i/12120134._SY540_.jpg" width="350" height="500" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>And now that I had <b>my</b> Gwenvael, I could let the lust-fest begin.<br>Oh, and also focus on the person that I <i>really</i> wanted to read about, Dagamr Reinholdt.<br>Dagmar has always been one of my favorite characters in the other books, so finally getting a chance to read her backstory was <i>awesome</i>! She was just as impressively devilish as I thought she'd be, and seeing how Gwenvael the Handsome won her over was pretty entertaining.<br>Dagmar (for those of you who don't know) is usually referred to as The Beast, and considered one of the most dangerous people to cross in the Dragon Kin series. Even the dragons are afraid of her, but not because she's the least bit physically frightening. <br>Nope. <br>She's one of those cold, calculating schemers that topples kingdoms (<i>and evil sister-in-laws</i>) without ever breaking a sweat.<br><br>So how does an apparently air-headed pretty boy win over a lady like that?<br>Well, you've gotta read the book!<br>Duh.

<img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1423050384ra/13581493.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>? <b>DNF</b> at 60%.<br><br><b>Shock</b>! <b>Dismay</b>! <b>Outrage</b>! <b>Discombobulation</b>! This book is naught but <b>Bloody Boring Blah Blah Blah</b> (B⁵) and <b>unlikable as fish characters</b>!! <br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1586856470i/29289247.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><b>What the bloody stinking squid</b> happened to the <b>humor</b> in this series, that's what I want to know! <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/3295695.Dragon_Actually__Dragon_Kin___1_" title="Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin, #1) by G.A. Aiken" rel="noopener">Dragon Actually</a> was <b>hilarious as shrimp</b> but this one? Ugh and meh and blah and bleh (yes, I know, I'm a poet). Not only was it NOT <b>funny</b> at all, it was also NOT <b>deliciously OTT as fish</b>. And that is quite unacceptable, if you ask me. Because the only thing that can make a series like this one <b>somewhat bearable, moderately survivable</b> and not kill-it-with-fire material, is its <b>ridiculously ridiculous outrageousness</b>. So turn it into a way-too-serious-for-its-own-good story, and what you get is a clichéd as fish, dull, trite <b>Extra-Strength Boredom Extravaganza</b> (ESBE™). <br><br>It would have been <b>bad enough</b> if the author had focused only on the two <b>Super Extra Uninteresting MCs</b> (SEUMC™) <s>I didn't give a fish about</s>, but, to make things worse, she decided to <b>dilute the shrimp out of her her yawn-worthy story</b> by writing endless digressions about <b>every single bloody dragon</b> in the series. How tremendously exciting indeed. And to make worse things even worse, there are no <b>Wondrously Slaughterous Shenanigans</b> (WSS™) in this story! And, more scandalous still, not a single <b>batshit crazy character</b> on the premises! Which, considering that my girlfriend <b>Annwyl the Bloody</b> is part of the cast, is slightly very quite <b>disgraceful</b> and stuff. ESPECIALLY when you know what an <b>ever-sobbing, pathetic, powerless wimp</b> Aitken dared turn her into here. My <b>scrumptiously unbalanced, bloodthirsty girlfriend</b>, a pitiful, whining weakling? <b>I. THINK. NOT.</b> <br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1429046114i/14521674.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>➽ <u><b>Nefarious Last Words</b> (NLW™)</u>: done done done with <b>this <s>crap</s> series</b> I am indeed. (“Thank thee kindly,” says my ever-grateful TBR shelf!) Also, this book is 384 pages long. That's <b>380 pages too bloody many</b>, if you ask me.<br><br>· <b>Book 1</b>: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1088352020" rel="nofollow noopener">Dragon Actually</a> ★★★★<br>· <b>Book 2</b>: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1728948196" rel="nofollow noopener">About a Dragon</a> ★★★

<blockquote> <b> <i> In the end, their loyalty and allegiance would be to their families and their people. But their devotion would be to each other. <i></i></i> </b> </blockquote><br /><br /><i>What a Dragon Should Know</i> was such a WILD and HILARIOUSLY FUN ride from start to finish! I think the author does a fantastic job in expanding the world of dragons in this installment. I love how each book is <i>packed</i> with romance, action, politics and loads of humor. G. A. Aiken is slowly becoming my go-to author when reality is kicking my butt...<br /><br />Dagmar Reinholdt aka the Beast was such an awesome heroine. This book definitely gets bonus points for having a plain jane heroine (and extra points on top of that for being a dog lover!). She was so shrewd, cunning and ruthless... I loved her so much! And normally I hate manwhores, but I could not resist loving Gwenvael the Handsome. He was so arrogant and obnoxious but he was also SO endearing and hilarious. I loved his antics and how he never stopped talking!<br /><br /><blockquote> <b> <i> When he returned with the puppy he found in someone’s yard, he thought she’d be happy. <br />“You stole someone’s puppy?” she’d accused. <br />“Dragons don’t steal. We simply take what we want. It’s not like that little girl needs him more than you do.” <i></i></i> </b> </blockquote><br /><br />The banter between Dagmar and Gwenvael was just too funny. Even though Gwenvael was such an airhead sometimes, they were literally perfect for each other.<br /><br /><blockquote> <b> <i> “Don’t make me cover your face with a pillow until you see my side of things.”<br />“Isn’t that called murder?” <br />“In some parts of the world.” <i></i></i> </b> </blockquote><br /><br />I also LOVE the family dynamic in this series. The constant bantering and bickering never fails to have me in stitches. Normally, I get annoyed when previous couples come back and steal the thunder of the main characters, but I don’t feel that way about this series at all. I love how everyone plays an important role and no character is ever wasted. I’m really looking forward to Éibhear and Izzy’s book! I just love those two SO MUCH!<br /><br />Overall, I know I can always count on G. A. Aiken for a fun time. This might be my favorite book out of the series so far. Now, onto the next book! (<i>In case anyone is wondering, I would not recommend reading this as a standalone as there are overarching plots and reoccurring characters...</i>)<br /><br />Rating: 5/5<br />

Know your audience.<br><br>By the time the readers hit a book number 3 in a series, they have certain expectations. In this case, we want outrageous and funny dialogue, crazy bloodthirsty characters, and plenty of dragon sex. Unfortunately, this book decided it was time to go "deeper", or maybe it just wanted to expand the world and story. <br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1469066192i/19776538.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><i>How dare you try to make shifter-smut serious?</i><br><br>Instead of getting my favorite dragon Gwenvael's story we get everyone else's continuation of their stories with a dash of Gwenvael thrown in. What a rip-off!!<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1469066192ra/19776539.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><i>Screw you, life!</i><br><br>And, considering that Gwenvael's mate is nicknamed The Beast - we really should have had a full book on them. But, nooooo.... we had a full book on Talaith the Bitch, but the Beast gets the short end of the stick. AND, we had too many scenes with Talaith the Bitch being a bitch in this book too. What the hell? Is she such a bitch that she bitch-slapped the author into writing her a storyline in someone else's book?<br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1469066192i/19776540.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><i>and her little loud-mouthed daughter too.</i><br><br>Needless to say, I need to step away from Dragon Smut Land for a bit. I'll get back to it once I feel less ragey. Maybe.

I've caught up on all the books, and this one was my reigning favorite. I wasn't sure about our handsome Gold at first, and I was making faces at the fact that Dagmar was described as "plain." Because that just seemed to easy to predict but...<br /><br />HOLY CRAP.<br /><br />I laughed so hard throughout the entire novel. I loved their relationship, chemistry, and dialogue. They made sense to me. I loved both characters and appreciated that while the plot was moved along, our two little liars' relationship wasn't forgotten. Anyway, this one was my favorite of the Dragon Kin series besides Ailean's book and later on, Vigholf's book.

I liked this book! Read almost every word too, and very few books can make me do that. It has to be interesting/ beautiful/ compelling/ humorous writing that makes me do that. This book falls into the "humorous" category.<br /><br />What I liked:<br />* An endearing man-whore. Not many of those to be found outside of historical romance "rakes." But Gwenvyle is adorable. I particularly like how he sucked his tail like a baby sucks his thumb in one scene.<br />* A heroine I can get behind. Cold, calculating, manipulative, but loyal and brave and good. Totally a match for our H.<br />* Hilarious family interactions, both on the h/H sides. <br />* The nod to Scandanavian mythologies and terminologies, with the Mountain of Woe, and things of this nature, love the names! Gwenvyle the Defiler/ Ruiner! The Weeper! hahahahahahaha!<br />* I love dragons - might be my favorite shifters, so this dragon shifting series has hit the spot. <br /><br />What the 1 star off is for:<br />* A bit too long. And part of it was because of all the great world building and mythologies and wars and intrigue which is fine, but still...<br />* related to above, the central H/h dynamic tapered off about 50-60% in. No more relationship development between the 2 and they weren't even together most of the time. She was off saving the world and he became a background character ready to give her hot lovin' when she came home. I thought G deserved more air time. I think he's a lot smarter than people give him credit for, which is why he's a great match for Dagmar. But he didn't get to really showcase his own intellectual and manipulative prowess. This is where he got lost amongst all the side characters the author throws at me left and right. And I wish he got to shine a lot more.<br /><br />Overall, MAY read another in the series. Open to recs for the best of the series to hit next!

when you reread a book thinking you'd like it more this time and slowly as you read you are reminded of everything that made you not like this book enough the first time around and you are "oh ??"

G.A. Aiken’s Dragon Kin series continues to capture my heart and keep me up night after night. WHAT A DRAGON SHOULD KNOW is Gwenvael and Dagmar’s book. Dagmar is the only daughter of The Reinholdt and she is a mastermind politician who simply kicks ass. While she isn’t like my favourite warrior, Annwyl the Blood Queen, Dagmar still fits in with these fierce warriors in her own way. With her spectacles and her modesty, Gwenvael can’t believe that he is meeting The Beast of the Northlanders. However, with her iron will and sharp tongue, Dagmar really holds her own amongst the warriors.<br /><br />I was really looking forward to Gwenvael’s book. He was a character I loved from the very beginning. I loved his upbeat attitude, his jokes, his sluttiness and his loyalty. Dagmar and Gwenvael were an unlikely match, but they really ended up being a great couple. Though the romance in this novel isn’t always the main focus, their love was still strong and believable.<br /><br />What I love about this series is that we see previous couples come back and we see their relationships continue to develop. So that means we see a lot of Annwyl and Fearghus as well as Breic and Talaith. Futhermore, Aiken also sets up future books with Keita and Izzy and E. I’m really looking forward to Izzy’s book!<br /><br />I guess my Dragon Kin obsession will continue because I’ll be diving straight into the next book right after this. I just can’t get enough of these witty, sexy dragons!<br />

/5 stars for Gwenvael (my personal whore)! All I can say is that this book is probably the best in the series. At the moment. I have yet to read Keita the Viper and Eibhear the Blue's (my sweet baby) story. ;) <br /><br />Here are some of the scenes that made me LOL, literally. If this doesn't make you want to read this, I don't know what will. Enjoy! <br /><br /><blockquote>"What are we doing with him?" Briec asked eagerly. "Are we throwing him out a window? Let's throw him out a window! Or off the roof!"<br />"We're going to take him to Annwyl." <br />"Won't our mother notice if he no longer has his head?"<br />"She'll notice," Fearghus answered, ignoring Gwenvael's struggles. "The question becomes 'will she care?'" -Briec to Fearghus.<br /><br /><br />Dagmar tried to stand, and Gwenvael caught her hand, pulling her back down. "You can't leave me. I'm tortured and brooding. You need to show me how much you adore me so I can love myself again."<br />"You never stopped loving yourself."<br />"Because I'm amazing." -Gwenvael to Dagmar."</blockquote><br /><br />P. S. I love how Gwenvael wakes up screaming "I didn't touch her" when he's startled. Same goes for Dagmar, who says, "It's not a lie!"

<b>Audio April 2020:</b> Laughed out load. Cried and loved it all over again.<br><br><b>Audio July 2018:</b> I laughed a lot. Gwenvael &amp; Dagmar are just great together. See review below. As for the audio well it’s superb. The narrator brings out the characters personalities. This is one of my favorite books in the series. The Gods come out to play and the babies arrive. Lots of fun!<br><br><b>~ 5 What a Dragon Stars ~</b><br><br><b> <i>What a Dragon Should Know</i> </b> is book three in the <i>Dragon Kin</i> series by G.A. Aiken. I absolutely love thee’s dragon! This series has captured my heart and keeps me coming back.<br><br><b> <i>What a Dragon Should Know</i> </b> is a re-read for me. I love diving back into this world. Dagmar is the only daughter of The Reinholdt. She is a masterminded politician that kicks ass and can hold her own amongst the warriors, with a sharp tongue and iron will. Gwenvael the Handsome is the most fun-loving of all the dragons next to Eibhear. No one takes him seriously and that he uses to his advantage. I loved his attitude and sluttiness along with his loyalty to family. The author always finds a way to make the leads complement eachother, especially when they are an unlikely match. What I love most is that you feel the connections between the characters whether they are family, friends, or mates. The love that flows with the romance is strong and believable. The humor and banter is always great fun to read about and we get to see previous couples come back along with seeing how their relationships continue to develop. <br><br><i>I will always come back to this series. I can’t get enough of the fun loving, witty, sexy dragons! I highly recommend pick up the Dragon Kin.</i> <br><br><a href="http://angelsguiltypleasures.com" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1435858090i/15382337._SX540_.jpg" width="400" height="100" alt="angelsgp-seethisreview-blure" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a>