Reviewed by Jenna
TITLE: Capture
SERIES: Torsere #1
AUTHOR: Annabelle Jacobs
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 200 Pages
BLURB:
Over two hundred years ago, when dragons were hunted for their blood, the King of Torsere offered them sanctuary. In return, the dragons bestowed a magical gift on the King s people, allowing those born with the mark to become dragon riders and forge a mental connection between dragon and rider.
King Ryneq of Torsere is undeniably attracted to Nykin, a young dragon rider. Ryneq s sister, Cerylea, encourages him to pursue the relationship. But with the stresses of ruling Torsere, a romantic attachment is low on Ryneq s list of priorities. Nykin admires the king from afar, but wants more than to warm his bed for a night or two.
Torsere remains under threat from the lowland armies of Rodeth and Athisi. To protect their kingdom, Ryneq and Cerylea intend to form an alliance with the elves through Cerylea s marriage to elf prince Morkryn. On the road to the wedding, the lowland army attacks the party. Cerylea escapes, but Ryneq is captured and taken to the impenetrable Risvery Castle. In the aftermath, Nykin volunteers for a perilous mission, endangering the lives of him and his dragon. The odds are against him, but Nykin will risk everything for his duty and his king.
REVIEW:
An attraction forms between King Ryneq and his dragon rider, Nykin. Though Ryneq thinks the dragon rider is beautiful, he can’t imagine having a fling with him, and he won’t commit to anything more. King Ryneq also fears that a union between the two would put Nykin in danger since their enemies might try to hurt Nykin in order to get to him. After spending some time at the castle, they all set out for a wedding and King Ryneq is captured by their enemy. Since Nykin has feelings for the king, he volunteers to participate in a deception that will result in Nykin being tortured and possibly killed. However, when Nykin is captured, he tells the enemy that he’s the king’s lover. The two are thrown together in their attempt to escape, and eventually their ruse becomes reality.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a proper dragon fantasy, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Despite having a YA flavor, I liked that this novel also had some romance and sexiness sprinkled in. I was entertained by the first part of the book, but began losing interest when the king expressed that he had no desire to pursue a relationship with Nykin. After that point, Nykin’s continued attraction to the king seemed one-sided, and I was thinking that Ryneq was no good for Nykin since he deserved a lover that cared about him. When Ryneq and Nykin finally come together, I still wasn’t convinced. Even though Ryneq admits having feelings for Nykin, he’s still willing to let Nykin die if it means saving his sister. Despite the lukewarm romance, I enjoyed the world that the author creates. Since I’ve read other books by Annabelle Jacobs that I really loved, I’ll certainly continue reading her work.
RATING: 
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