Dragon Actually Written By: G.A. Aiken

It's not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the Bloody.  Men tend to either cower in fear--a lot--or else salute.  It's true that Annwyl has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother's soldiers without pausing for breath.  But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer.

Too bad that Fearghus is a dragon, of the large, scaly, and deadly type.  With him Annwyl feels safe--a far cry from the feelings aroused by the hard-bodied, arrogant knight Fearghus has arranged to help train her for battle.  With her days spent fighting a man who fills her with fierce, heady desire, and her nights spent in the company of a magical creature who could smite a village just by exhaling, Annwyl is sure life couldn't get any stranger.  She's wrong....

My Review

It begins with a battle. That is always promising.  Fearghus is sleeping inside his cave when he hears sounds of battle coming from outside.  He usually ignores the noise because the goings on of men matter little to him.  This time, however, it was different.  This time the sound was coming from the entrance of his cave?  Seriously?  Now that is very disturbing to him.   He uncurls his tail from around his body to investigate and surely have a quick snack.  Little does he realize that his life is about to be forever altered.  Outside of his cave he watches as a band of men surround a young woman who is obviously a huge threat.  Fearhus shakes his head.  Men.  One man gets a lucky slice in right before he goes down.  Fearghus knows it was a mortal wound but watches in astonishment as she beheads the next guy.  He decides to step in.
Annwyl is oblivious to what is going on behind her.  She knows her time is at an end but refuses to make it easy for these bastards to kill her.  She notices that the attention is no longer centered on her but on something behind her.  She watches in astonishment as they turn one by one, and run screaming like little girls right before they burst into flames.  She turns and faces what she now knows is a dragon.  She salutes him and says a sarcastic comment right before she collapses.  Fearghus scopes her up in his claw all the while wondering why he is bothering with this human, no matter how beautiful she is.
This is a delightful tale of a brooding dragon that prefers his own company and his own space, and a human warrior woman.  After he allows Annwyl to heal, Fearghus arranges a trainer for her so she can home in on her skills.  Her biggest enemy is her half brother but her fear and rage blind her and make her careless in battle. Even though it has worked for her so far, Fearghus realizes she needs his help...even if she doesn't.  The characters are perfectly matched, but I love Annwyll.  She is the very example of just how lonely life can be when your at the top.  In Fearghus she finds a friend.  In her trainer she finds desire.  But will she betray their friendship to feel a Mans arms for the first time?  This was a great book and wait til you meet the rest of his family!