Kiss of Fury (Dragonfire, Book 2)

This book surprised me. I honestly didn't expect the power of the first book in this series to be replicated in Book 2. And, I was right. This one was actually better! Donovan is fabulous...(I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers, that's for sure!!). His "firestorm" is unwanted, and he feels tricked into the heat he experiences with Alexandra. Donovan has a long-term history of distrusting women, and that interferes with his acceptance/trust of Alexandra. Alex and Donovan plan to "cheat" their firestorm using condoms. Instead, they find the un-satisfied firestorm only gets hotter! The relationship between these two extremely different characters is witty, and paced beautifully. The Slayers get a new weapon in their war against the Pyr while Boris, the extremely nasty Slayer, is finally beaten down (but not out!). This book is enchanting, and makes shape-shifting dragons almost believeable. I particuliarly liked D. Cook using the Green Machine as the target of the Slayers. In todays' world...anything that brings more awareness of global warming and possible solutions into the mainstream is appreciated. I can't help hoping that Nikolas the newly-un-enchanted Pyr ends up with Sophie...they are too cute together.

Cooke's second book in her Dragonfire series, KISS OF FURY, follows the ongoing battle of good and evil fought between an ancient species of male shape-shifting dragons. The Pyr, whose job it is to guard earth's treasures -- the most important of which is humans -- must stop the Slayers from destroying the planet and killing off humanity. In addition, in order to remain strong, the Pyr must continue their line, so when a Pyr's "firestorm" heralds his destined mate, he must answer the summons. The newest set of sparks fly between the Pyr "Warrior," Donovan Shea and the human "Wizard," scientist Alexandra (Alex) Madison. Alex Madison has invented a "green" machine that will help save the planet, but just as she's ready to unveil the environmental gem, her partner is murdered before her eyes - eviscerated by dragons - and the green machine prototype is destroyed and the lab burned. While recovering in the hospital from her own injuries, she continues to be haunted by memories of the horrific murder and evil dragons. Unfortunately, she's misdiagnosed as unstable and is ordered to be sent the psychiatric ward, only to be rescued by a stranger who turns out to be yet another dragon. Donovan Shea is sent by the Pyr to rescue Alex from the hospital and guard her from the Slayers who want to destroy her and all evidence of her invention. When Donovan figures out that he was chosen for this mission because Alex is his destined mate - which is obvious because his firestorm burns to life when he's with her - he's angry, because he's vowed never to marry or father children. Determined to cheat destiny and avoid falling for the feisty, intelligent scientist, the reluctant warrior fights his desire for Alex, which only seems to turn up the flames. In a race for time, Donovan and Alex work to rebuild the green machine, with help from the other Pyr dragons (including the only female dragon, the beautiful Wyvern). The Smith and the Seer (Quinn and Sara) from KISS OF FIRE return, and Eric, the Pyr leader, tries to learn the Slayer's dark secrets having to do with the "shadow dragons" who don't bleed. The mystery of the dragon's tooth is also introduced - we're sure to read more about that in future books in the series. I'm a long-time fan of Cooke's medieval romances, as well as her contemporary fiction (written under Claire Delacroix and Claire Cross). I also just finished her newest urban fantasy novel, FALLEN by Claire Delacroix, about a fallen angel hero - I highly recommend it to readers of any genre, but especially those who like edgy, dark urban fantasies. Cooke is a master at world-building, whether it's a contemporary world where dragons co-exist with unsuspecting humans or a post-nuclear urban setting filled with dark, gritty imagery and yummy, rich characters (like in FALLEN). Eric's story, KISS OF FATE, is next in the Dragonfire series, and I'll be the first in line to buy it.

Alexandra Madison and her partner have developed a revolutionary new invention that has the potential to save the planet. One night of nightmarish violence lands Alexandra in the hospital and her partner in the mortuary, with their prototype destroyed. Alex knows she must continue with their plan, which means gathering her backup data and prototype quickly in order to finish the job before the deadline in just a few days. Being kidnapped from the hospital by a handsome stranger puts a bit of a kink in that plan, but not as much as being continuously attacked by the Slayers who killed her partner and left her for dead. Of course, even these attacks aren't quite as distracting as the intensely compelling desire she feels for her kidnapper... It is the duty of the Pyr to protect the Earth's treasures, which includes humankind. Donovan has been tasked with rescuing the lovely scientist from the hospital before the Slayers can finish her off. Once he finds her, the Firestorm is unleashed and he realizes she is his destined mate. He is determined to resist the Firestorm until Alex is out of danger and he can leave her in peace. But then the sexy little minx comes up with a plan to thwart the Firestorm. He isn't so sure it will work, but it can't hurt to try - can it? Before I had turned the last page of the first book in Deborah Cooke's DRAGONFIRE series, I knew I wanted sequels in this riveting new paranormal saga. As much as I had loved KISS OF FIRE, I adored its sequel, KISS OF FURY, even more. Something about the hero for KISS OF FURY appealed to me immensely. Maybe it is Donovan's bad boy persona, or perhaps it was the underlying vulnerability that drives him. Then again, it could just be his selfless nature and willingness to sacrifice all for those he loves. Alexandra is the kind of woman I hope to be. She may experience fear, but she doesn't let it cripple her. When the chips are down, Alex will do whatever needs to be done to defend both herself and those she cares for. Not only that, in her mission to complete the work on her invention, she works for the good of the entire human race. It is no wonder that she would be the perfect mate for a man like Donovan. We see the return of that creepy Boris in KISS OF FURY, and this villain brings with him some surprises that throw our heroes for a loop. His army of minions has increased, and the challenges the Pyr face are formidable. The Pyr, however, are not without their own secret weapons. We learn more about the Pyr leader's talents, and the group learns even more about their own heritage than they already knew. Someone new joins the small band of Pyr and their fight against the evil Slayers, surprising all. Even the ethereal Wyvern plays an even bigger part in this book, and there are hints that she may find her own story in the not too distant future, if I read Ms. Cooke's clues accurately. In KISS OF FURY: DRAGONFIRE, BOOK 2, Deborah Cooke delivers a fiery tale

Some people were kind of blase on Deborah Cooke's first novel in the series Kiss of Fire, and after I read it I could understand why, since it seems she was feeling out the storyline for the first time. However, after reading Kiss of Fury, I have to say that the author has found her niche and is running with it! I absolutely loved the storyline and both hero and heroine were in depth and the epitome of coolness. Donovan Shea, an Irish born Pyr, has had commitment issues, and not for the usual reasons. His life has been full of disappointments and people leaving him. He has given up on true love and never wants to have any children, thus when he finds that on this particular mission that his friends have set him up to save the woman that will cause his own firestorm, you can guess how pissed he is. On the other hand, there is Alex Madison, a young scientist who is on the verge of one of the biggest environmental breakthroughs in decades. However, before she finish her work, she is attacked by Slayers, who destroy her work and brutally kill her partner. Horrified by the dragon Slayers, she is of course even more terrified when another dragon takes her from the hospital, saving her from the psycho ward! Donovan and Alex's story gets even more steamy and complicated as both parties try to fight their attraction to each other, only to find themselves drawn back into the other's arms. Donovan's issues of trust, and Alex's fear are key points in the relationship, and it only gets more twisted as many issues from the past are suddenly coming to light. All of the characters from Kiss of Fire return, including Quinn and Sara, Naill, Rafferty, Erik, Sloan, Delaney and Sophie the Wyvern (who seems to only get more annoying in this book). All the villians who didn't die in book one also return, along with some new villians who might prove quite a challenge for the small Pyr group. New hardships arise, as the slayers reveal their new "academy" where they are making a new army of zombie dragon warriors. However, the revealed legend of the Dragon's Teeth, might be the Pyr's saving grace as they will soon have an army of their own (an army of dragon Spartans at that...take that 300!). This book is a must read and the romance and action is phenomenal! Donovan and Alex are two sides of the same coin and I must say Cooke did an awesome job on this one. I will definately be buying book 3 (Kiss of Fate) next year, and will see how well she transforms Erik in the newest novel.