stealing the dragonRating: 4.75 stars
Buy Links: 
 Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novella


Jerney hasn’t had the easiest life. At eight years old, he was forced to run away from home after his mother’s death in order to protect his brother and sister. That’s when Jerney made the decision to stir spells for the Thieves’ Guild in exchange for the protection of his family. Fifteen years later, Jerney is the strongest caster witch around and is still working with the Thieves’ Guild, for which there is a bounty on his head. As the eldest brother, Jerney still watches over his family and still feels responsible for them. When his sister steals a piece from the dragon prince’s hoard, Jerney sets out to give the piece back without being taken in.

Dragons live for centuries, so at seventeen, Tori is still considered a baby dragon until he gains the maturity to shift from his human form to his dragon form. When his hatching gem is stolen, Tori unsuccessfully begins his search, becoming more disheartened as the days pass without any leads as to where the gem is. But when the witch Jerney brings the gem back, Tori is so grateful that he gifts his new friend with another piece from his hoard.

When his sister finds herself in more trouble, Jerney trades his freedom for his sister’s. But when his friends kidnap Tori demanding Jerney’s freedom in exchange, Jerney must make find a way to save his family, friends, and Tori before the dragons destroy the entire kingdom. And when evil from Jerney’s past shows up, can Tori find a way to protect Jerney and those he loves?

Stealing the Dragon is the third book in the Dragon’s Hoard series by Mell Eight, and quite possibly my favorite so far. I really liked the first book, and I liked the second okay, but I loved this book. In my opinion the writing is much smoother in this story than it was in the previous. This installment is not necessarily a romance so much as it is about the bond between Jerney and Tori. It’s a bond that will likely grow into a romance eventually, but because of Tori’s maturity level, it will take a while longer.

Both of these characters are absolutely lovable. Jerney is a wonderful brother, friend, and protector. He has taken responsibility of his family since he was eight years old and is the strongest caster witch around. He’s loving and caring and his heart is huge. When Tori happens into his life, Jerney doesn’t think twice about opening his heart and life to the dragon. Tori is young and immature, but adores Jerney from the moment they meet. As with most children, Tori is an open book, especially to Jerney. He is completely adorable. He gets overexcited easily. He trusts quickly. He gives his heart freely. His feelings get hurt easily. He’s so precious.

Like I said before, the relationship between Jerney and Tori is not romantic. It’s a friendship with a close bond, a bond that grows as they spend time together. I appreciate the fact that Jerney and Tori weren’t lovers. I like that they have a lot of time to grow up and fall in love. Tori is obviously not mature enough to handle that relationship and Jerney is willing to stick by his side no matter what.

As with the rest of the books, this world is beautiful and continues to grow. This time the addition of witches adds to the magical layer of the world. And the levels of witches – spell dipping, spell stirring, and spell casting – is unique to this world and so imaginative. Also the introduction of ice barbarians is a great set up for the next book.

I’m happy to see the improvement from the prior installment to this one. This series is creative and unique in the fantasy genre, and I really like that. Each story has added something new and interesting to the world and to the series. Here, the characters are well developed and the story is entertaining from beginning to end. If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, you should definitely read those first. I highly recommend Stealing the Dragon by Mell Eight.

crissy sig