Rating: 3.75 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Tavi is a set omega, or one that cannot shift. Because of this,, his only value to his pack is as breeding stock and his fate is to be sold into slavery and bred until there is no further use for him. It’s a future that Tavi has been aware of for years, so when the day comes and he is taken from his father and sold to a dragon clan, he is afraid, but far from surprised.
Alluresh has no interest in attending an omega auction, but his dragon, Allure, has other ideas, and that means Alluresh has little say in the matter. Perpetually at war with his own dragon, making an heir is hardly at the forefront of Alluresh’s mind…until he sees Tavi. For the first time, Alluresh and his dragon are of one mind — the boy is theirs and no one else’s.
Convincing Tavi that he is safe and provided for takes time, especially as Alluresh has no interest in forcing the omega against his will. But Tavi’s heat is coming all too soon and Alluresh and his wayward dragon must work together to show Tavi that he is the greatest treasure in their horde.
Omega Captive of the Alpha Dragon is one of those books that starts off strong and then somewhere around the second half becomes another story entirely. It left me frustrated as a reader and a tad annoyed.
The dichotomy between Alluresh and his dragon was the most interesting aspect for me. They are two separate entities and Alluresh has little control over the dragon. When Allure does not get his way, he forces Alluresh to shift and destroys anything in his path. As a result, Alluresh shuns most of society and his few attempts at relationships have not gone well. Allure is primal and basic in his thoughts and desires and seems to appreciate his mortal only for the wealth and comforts he provides. Yet their affection and eventual love for Tavi helps unite them. There is no magical fix here, which I appreciated. Allure will always be the more dominant and Alluresh the more rational, but they function better with Tavi as their mate. This psychological push/pull is rather unique among the shifter books I’ve read.
About halfway through Omega Captive of the Alpha Dragon, an abrupt shift takes place. Alluresh’s psychological battles with Allure are swept away and Tavi’s slow embrace of his new life are ignored in favor of baby making. We know, as readers, that Tavi’s heat is approaching and that’s fine, but all the romance and emotional healing of the first part of the book are replaced by a frenetic egg laying and hatching. This section just felt haphazard and shallow to me and without any of the depth that made the first half so enjoyable. As a result, I felt yanked from the storyline and was never able to fully engage with the characters or their journey as a result.
I really enjoyed the slower and more emotionally complex first half of Omega Captive of the Alpha Dragon. Unfortunately, the plot shifted away from this and towards a rather vapid and rushed heat/baby arc that felt disconnected from the already established story and lacking in depth. I wish the plot had been allowed to evolve more naturally; had it done so, this book would have been amazing. If you are an avid fan of the alpha/omega trope, there’s still plenty to enjoy, but it has some definite weak spots.
