Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Dragon’s Magic is the fourth book in the Irresistible Dragons series, which needs to be read in order. As such, there may be mild spoilers in this review for previous books. Also, please be aware that this book talks about past physical, sexual, and mental abuse, as well as mentions of depression and suicide. While discussed, it’s not in great detail nor is it depicted on page.
Yitro has longed for a mate and children since he was a teen. Though at almost forty he’s given up hope of a mate, now that’s he’s carrying the alpha’s child, he at least gets to be a parent. Rhene and Erwan lovingly lead the pack and clan, and Yitro is not only thrilled to help them have a child, but even more because he gets to be a daddy. Though his closest friend, Riordan, moved out to be with his mates, Yitro is still content.
Fallon risked his life to find safe refuge for himself and the other dragon omegas of the Murphy clan with the Hightower pack. Though they’ve been safe for several weeks now, it’s still hard for him to wrap his head around. When Fallon gets the opportunity to move into a new place with only Yitro and Duer as roommates, he takes it because that’s what his fellow omegas want. Fallon is still struggling to find a new normal.
Duer might have physically recovered from his capture and torture two years ago, but his mental recovery has been much slower. He has cut himself off from the pack, keeping himself to himself, and doing what he can to survive. Living with Yitro is a blessing, as the older man is a sweetheart, and when Fallon joins them, he fits right in. Duer’s breakthrough in his healing is a tough one, but he begins to start living again, wanting to not only take care of both the omegas he lives with, but also start contributing to the pack.
The three men find a quick and easy friendship, and they support one another on their healing journeys. Each man has their own baggage that they are working through. But the closer they get, the more they care for one another. With the threat to the pack and clan still looming, Duer helps uncover even more twists to the mystery. Things might be even worse than they seemed at first, and yet there’s also more hope, as the clan steps into their own right and begin making plans to fight back. But for Yitro, Fallon, and Duer, all things come to a halt when they realize they are fated mates.
This book follows the same pattern as the previous ones in the series. We begin with a glimpse of the far past that gives the reader a clue as to what problem the characters are going to face in the story. It also ends on a cliffhanger, which the author has made clear from the start. Fortunately, more of this triad’s story, as well as the continuation of the through storyline, will be released in short order. The book is mostly told from Yitro, Duer, and Fallon’s POVs, but as we’ve come to expect, there’s also other characters’ POVs throughout. This series has a complex overarching plot that continues to advance with each relationship.
I enjoyed that Phoenix manages to have the MCs of each book bring something particular to the table with the through-plot that never feels forced or shoehorned in. Here, in particular, Fallon has information that he never thought to share, not because he was keeping it a secret, but because it didn’t occur to him that it was information the Hightower pack/Doyle clan needed. This advances the plot significantly, as does Duer’s “reawakening” to life. As Duer begins to contribute and help more, he finds further information that pushes the story along.
Overall, I felt there was a good balance between the A and B storylines. The relationship is definitely a slow burn, friends to lovers kind of thing, and it takes it’s time. It’s a little bit different from most of what we’ve seen so far, as the three MCs are deep into their friendship before the revelation is made known. And it’s perhaps not the best timing, as both Fallon and Duer don’t like the idea of fate dictating their lives and Yitro is only 4 weeks from giving birth. But I loved the way their relationship built and that these guys has a very solid, loving friendship before things take the next step. For these three in particular, that’s especially needed. Both Duer and Fallon have been horribly abused, and the additional time to be comfortable is necessary. On top of that, after what Duer went through, he has identified as a sex-repulsed asexual. Some of that is changing as he heals, and I’m interested to see how Phoenix explores that. Sex itself is a tricky subject with the MCs, but with two of the three being omegas having a periodic need for sex, it’s a particularly interesting conversation. Though the current book ends before they can begin to explore what being mates means, the beauty of their relationship is that they are very solidly a support of each other already, which I know will serve them well as they work through the next stages.
Of course, there’s still a major threat to the Hightower/Doyles, and the twists make things even more complicated. This mystery gets ever more complicated as well, and at times a little heavy. While I am fascinated by the world Phoenix has built and how the new discoveries tie into the Irresistible Omegas world that is already solidly established, there were times where I felt the story got a bit bogged down in explanation about the dragon world and culture. As I said, I felt there was a good balance between the storylines, but there were certain scenes that felt a little verbose for me. It wasn’t that it was repetitive information, but more that the conversations went on for a long time before any real progress was made. Still, that’s a small problem in an otherwise great book.
This story moves the plot line forward significantly and it definitely set the stage for bigger things to come. The pack and clan are gearing up, but it’s still unclear exactly what they face as they work to unravel the mystery of the dragon clans, especially the Murphys. Yitro, Fallon, and Duer certainly have challenges a head of them, but a good foundation for moving forward. All in all, this was a great addition to the series and I’m very much looking forward to the next book to see how this particular plot shakes out.
