Reviewed by Cheryl
TITLE: Emperor of Dragons
SERIES: Black Veil
AUTHOR: Davidson King
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 195 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 17 2022
BLURB:
Peace has descended on Black Veil once more, and hope is on the horizon.
Until a new threat arises…
Emil is the head of security, first line of defense for Cain and Black Veil. He takes great pride in his job, is fully prepared to sacrifice everything in order to keep everyone he cares about safe and the world from crumbling. But the Tritons and Sirens have approved a treaty, and the dragons will most likely agree to allow vampires to use their blood for sustenance and protection once again, so all is as it should be. Then Emil meets the emperor of dragons, and his life goes from calm to chaotic in the blink of an eye—loyalty and love now battle for dominance in his head.
Aldrich is the emperor of dragons, and he cannot afford to make mistakes. He and his clans enter Black Veil in the hopes that The Blood Boss will join them in the fight to save his family. Aldrich is ready to lay down his life and for anything else thrown his way—except the crystal-eyed vampire who immediately captures his interest. Emil is everything he has always wanted and would never dare dream of, and when all he holds dear is threatened, it’s Emil who keeps his dragon grounded.
When unimaginable dangers swarm into Black Veil, the vampires and dragons join forces and call upon every living creature in Black Veil to defeat the enemy. While love blooms, lives perish, all to fight a war against the darkness threatening to consume the world. Will Emil and Aldrich claim victory and have their happily ever after, or are they doomed to an eternity apart?
REVIEW:
Whilst this book can certainly be read as a standalone, I would highly recommend that Book 1 of the series, The Blood Boss, is read first as it sets context and roots the world.
I have followed this author for some time and this is the furthest they’ve yet gone into the realm of speculative fiction. I say the furthest and not the first because I would argue that there is an element of speculative fiction in both the Haven Hart, and Joker’s Sin series. Readers of the aforementioned series will notice that the Black Veil series follows the same basic formula. The story is set in and around a set place, in this case Black Veil rather than Haven Hart, and is told in an alternating pov style. This is not a criticism at all, but stamps the author’s unique and familiar style on a venture into something new.
As usual, the author’s skill in painting vivid characters is to the fore and we are introduced to a new, and so far my favourite, character, Aldrich, the emperor of dragons. What can I say; I have a weakness for redheads.
The book is not perfect, and the flaws are evident. The editing slips sometimes and both story and dialogue slip into unrealistic sometimes. None of these are glaring errors but break the immersion and can lead to frustration.
That being said, I have always given far more weight to the actual story than any other elements that might be good or bad. Without a strong story, the best written books are fatally flawed, and with a strong enough story, badly written books can be riveting. This isn’t a badly written book, and it has a good, strong story, so overall it’s a win-win situation.
The pacing is steady, with peaks and troughs leading to an explosive ending. This book is particularly edge-of-the-seat and is filled with moments of drama that pushes the story along at a good pace. Aldrich and Emil are an unlikely couple, but they work and the author manages to pull off major insta-love in a believable way.
On the whole, this is not as major a departure from the author’s usual works as it could have been, which is not a bad thing, but would no doubt be comforting to long-time fans. It is fantasy grounded in reality, which is my favourite kind. There is plenty of action, as well as space for emotional depth and I would definitely recommend as an easy, exciting read. The same can be said for the first book, so if you’re thinking of getting this one, then get them both.
Watch this space for the rest of the series which I am eagerly awaiting.
RATING: 
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