Book Musings - Dragon Marked by Jaymin Eve

Title : Dragon Marked
Author : Jaymin Eve
Series : Supernatural Prison, Book 1
Genre : YA/NA Paranormal Romance
Source :  Free copy from the author through Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books in exchange for an honest review

Blurb :

There are supernatural prisons hidden across the globe. Contained within these fortresses are some of the deadliest criminals from the five supernatural races: vampire, shifter, fey, magic users and demi-fey.

Jessa Lebron, twenty-two, has spent her entire life in Stratford, Connecticut, one of the gateway towns adjoining these prisons which protect the fortified borders. She’s a wolf shifter, and her father leads the town council. She learns that much of her life has been hidden from her, secrets which threaten to tear apart the very fabric of her world. Especially the biggest secret of them all.

She is dragon marked.

Jessa only knows what she’s been told about the dragon marked, that they are dangerous and must be eliminated to prevent the rise of the dragon king, the powerful warmonger who had his head removed a thousand years ago. So now Jessa's on the biggest hit list of all. Dragon mark hunters are lethal and her only hope to evade detection is to keep the energy contained.

As more secrets unfold she finds herself locked up in Vanguard, the notorious American supernatural prison. Thankfully she’s not alone. Braxton, the dragon-shifter has her back. Together they must survive long enough to free themselves and the other dragon marked.

Because it’s time for the dragon marked to rise.

My Musings : 

When I requested a copy from the author through the Goodreads group for reviewing it, I was both eager and reluctant to start reading the book. The reason was that I found the blurb interesting enough to queue up for a free copy and at the same time too wordy leaving an open field for the story without any bumps in it. The blurb was also very revealing of the plot. I think that it could have been a bit more concise and more mysterious.

For this book, I found that the cover was not too engaging. I know it actually has the right elements connecting it to the story but the colours and arrangement didn't feel right to me. It corresponds to the blurb elements and hence there's no feel of mystery and suspense.

Now that's done, let me fangirl for a few seconds. *Runs around screaming OMG!* Yes, I made that sound you are hearing. I absolutely loved the book!!! And I seriously can't wait for the next book. I think I am going to stalk the author till she does :)

The author has built a very cool supernatural based community. All the normal supernatural races like shifters, vampires, pixies, fey, mages are a part of this series. The world so created is interesting and has our attention locked to the pages with the races' daily lives and the hierarchy associated with them. I found the thought of a supernatural prison unique. The famous people like Vlad the Impaler are shown in a totally different light. I, for one, will never look at people the same way.

The story is vivid in its description and the scenes flow in a cinematic manner and I found myself mesmerised till the end. The pace was pretty steady and there were no sudden surprises. It was all revealed in the blurb. In spite of that, the tale was not onerous to read. The book was humorous and I found myself laughing at various points of the story.

The characters were developed enough to get me invested in their emotions. The book is from the main protagonist, Jessa's point of view. And I think it's the apt voice for the book. The camaraderie among Jessa and the boys was so perfect that I felt envious of her. I know! But I couldn't help it. Braxton and Maximus were the ones who were highlighted in this book. Even Mischa's role was sort of less important. Jacob and Tyson need to be given more of the plot. And there's the mysterious Louis. He intrigued me with his cryptic lines. I so wanted to have more of him featured while reading.

Jessa is a combination of a gentle soul and a spunky character. She is loyal and possessive and has a soft spot for the suffering. Mischa is not so dominant but is a softer counterpart to Jessa. She is not as clearly defined as Jessa. Braxton is THE alpha and is very protective of his inner circle while Maximus is kind of touchy at times. I didn't get a proper impression about Tyson and Jacob.

There was only one thing which made me frown while reading the book. It was Jessa being kind of thick headed about certain things. There were so many hints but still she couldn't get to the conclusion they were pointing at. I loved the romantic aspect of the book. It wasn't overdone but the author had added spice here and there and has only hinted at the pairings. I hope there is more of it in the following books.

In conclusion, I would recommend this to all paranormal fantasy lovers wholeheartedly in spite of a few negative items about the book. I am sure you won't be disappointed and I have added this author to my watchlist!

My one line review : Watch out for the author! A promising start to a new unique fantastical romance. 

My rating : 5/5

My reread factor : 5/5

Floryie