Review: Lord's Fall

LORD'S FALL
Novels of the Elder Races #5
Thea Harrison
Adult Paranormal Romance
304 pages
Berkley
Available Now
Received from publisher for review

*Books 1-4 in the Elder Races series can all be read as stand alone paranormal romances, but it should be noted that this 5th book is a direct sequel to book 1, Dragon Bound. Readers can read Dragon Bound and skip directly to Lord's Fall without missing out on too much, but I highly recommend trying the entire series.

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
In the latest Novel of the Elder Races, two mates find themselves on different paths, torn between their duty to the Wyr and the passion that binds them…  

Before she met Dragos, half-human/half-Wyr Pia Giovanni was alone and on the run. Now she’s mated, pregnant and heading south to repair the Wyrs’ frayed relationship with the Elves. Being separated from Dragos is painful, but for the good of the Wyr demesne they need to figure out how to be partners—in more places than just the bedroom. 

In New York to preside over the Sentinel Games, Dragos is worried about his mate, but knows that finding two replacement sentinels is essential to show the rest of the Elder Races just how strong and brutal the Wyr demesne can be. But as the Games heat up, Pia’s negotiations with the Elves take a turn for the dangerous, straining her bond with Dragos and threatening everything they hold dear…

MY THOUGHTS
Lord’s Fall returns us to the life and love of the couple that kicked off the Novels of the Elder Races in such spectacular fashion, delighting us with extra time spent alongside Dragos and Pia as they settle into true partnership after their quick and combustible mating in Dragon Bound. Though some of the tension that accompanies the courtship dance between two characters who are taking the first tentative steps toward a relationship is missing given our hero and heroine are an established couple, there’s something equally intriguing about reading as emotional intimacy is deepened, and the complexities of making a relationship actually work are brought to the forefront.

The first half of this story is a bit slower in nature as Dragos and Pia must physically separate to deal with two of the many varied problems the Wyr demesne faces, but though we spend the entirety of those first 150 pages wishing for them to be reunited in more than just the dreams Dragos casts for them, we can see how necessary the separation is to help build the foundation for their partnership. The force of Dragos’s immense alpha personality as well as the Power he radiates are things that could easily consume Pia whole, and if she doesn't stand and fight for her place by his side rather than in his shadow, he could simply (though not intentionally or maliciously) overwhelm her and drastically skew their relationship in his favor.

Once the two are reunited the story picks up in speed, and we’re not only granted the time with our leading couple we’ve been craving since the beginning, but we’re also treated to all the secondary characters who go where Dragos goes, charming us with their antics, fascinating us with their distinct personalities, and making us fall a little more in love with them as we desperately await their books. Graydon, Quentin, and Aryal all hold particular interest, as does new character Alex (a Pegasus!), with Ms. Harrison allowing us to see just a few of the facets these gems of characters possess, successfully baiting us until we can’t bear the thought of having to wait until we get to know them as well as we’ve gotten to know Dragos and Pia.

Overall, while this is not the strongest addition to this outstanding series, it’s still highly enjoyable, and it’s my sincere hope that we might continue to get snippets from Dragos and Pia even as his sentinels step into the spotlight moving forward.

Rating: 4/5