Blood Dragon Rising - Book Review

G.S. Carline's Blood Dragon Rising is the opening book of a new captivating series, Dragon Shadows. The story is set in the mystical Caribbean during a dark historical time period. This suspense thriller masterfully blends elements of fantasy with riveting detail that creates an alluring atmosphere! Readers will be captivated by the author's vivid stunning marine descriptions as they explore this fantastical yet gritty world where danger lurks beneath every wave - offering suspenseful thrills that meld magic with human nature at its worst.

Lisette, a young French noblewoman with an impending arranged marriage, is met in the opening passages of her story by something unexpected and unruly; a red dragon. Though Lisette manages to escape unscathed from its grasp - no one believes that such mythical creatures exist outside of stories and dreams. Nevertheless, for this brave woman, reality will soon become wilder than she ever imagined.

Political strife took an unexpected turn for Lisette when she found herself kidnapped and whisked away onto a Spanish pirate's vessel. With the Spaniards attempting to seize control of French islands for wealth and power, her fate became intertwined with that of state interests in this turbulent time.

The reader will be intrigued by Lisette being imprisoned by Captain Rocco on a wooden schooner flying a pirate’s flag. She learns that she has been sold to a noble on another island by her intended husband and his paramour. Lisette’s transition from a noblewoman to a competent sailor is fascinating, with travails and adventures. She stabs and kills a man to protect her virginity and survives a hurricane and a battle with another ship.

As her skills develop and mature, and her self-esteem and confidence grow, she begins to see herself as two persons, a noblewoman, and a pirate. These two sides of her personality conflict and converge to save her life from other men who would “deflower” her or kill her. Then, she discovers a large red feather and learns that it comes from a red dragon similar to the one she saw as a child.

Lisette’s intense planning and the adventures she experiences as she tries to return home and rescue her family intensify with her becoming a pirate on an all-woman ship. The story rapidly builds with her discovery of the curse of the red dragon and that she will become one. Each night of the new moon Rocco, as a red dragon, is driven to kill. So why is Lisette on its list? Will Lisette's quest for revenge be enough to end this ill-fated spell or will something else break it? Is a romance in the offer? 

The satisfying ending of this book will have readers counting down the days until they can experience even more enchanting adventures. An irresistible mix of fantasy, magic, and historical fiction makes for an enthralling story that is sure to captivate all who read it!