What a Dragon Should Know

Dragon Kin Series, Book 3

By: G. A. Aiken

Narrated by: Hollie Jackson

Only for those I love would I traipse into the merciless Northlands to risk life, limb, and my exquisite beauty. But do they appreciate it? Do they say, "Gwenvael the Handsome, you are the best among us - the most loved of all dragons?" No! For centuries my family has refused to acknowledge my magnificence, as well as my innate humility. Yet for them, and because I am so chivalrous, I will brave the worst this land has to offer.

So here I stand, waiting to broker an alliance with the one the Northlanders call the Beast. A being so fearful, the greatest warriors will only whisper its name. Yet I, Gwenvael, will courageously face down this terrifying...woman? It turns out the Beast, a.k.a. Dagmar Reinholdt, is a woman - one with steel-gray eyes and a shocking disregard for my good looks. Beneath her plain robes and prim spectacles lies a sensual creature waiting to be unleashed. Who better than a dragon to thaw out that icy demeanor?

And who better than a beast to finally tame a mighty dragon's heart?

©2009 G. A. Aiken (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"The wonderfully wacky and perverse nature of Aiken's stories and characters are guaranteed to produce laughs." (RT Book Reviews)

Great story and addition to the series :D

4.5-5 stars

This was a great story and addition to the series. I have to admit that I was a bit leery of this story because...well, it's about Gwenvael. But surprisingly, I enjoyed this story so very much.

Dagmar is a rather plain woman that makes up for her looks with a very high intelligence. She's the only daughter of her father, the Reinholdt (aka a fearsome Warlord in the Northern territories). Dagmar is extremely skilled with animals, particularly canines, and she has total control over the raising and training of her father's war hounds. Dagmar hasn't had much luck with men and her main hope is that when she reaches 40, her father might see her as a spinster and give her a small house of her own near his keep.

Gwenvael is dragon shifter and brother to Feargus & Briec (from previous books in the series). Gwenvael isn't a fighter and prefers to spend his extra time bedding just about any woman (dragon or human) who's willing. Gwenvael tends to stick his foot in his mouth but is basically a good guy.

Dagmar's family is facing a fight with an uncle that wants her father's title and keep. Dagmar is very learned and is excellent at finding out information and she finds out some info on a threat to Annwyl and the twin babies that Annwyl is currently pregnant with. Dagmar sends a message to Annwyl (in the name of her father, the Reinholdt) asking her to come and meet with her to bargain for the info. Annwyl ends up sending Gwenvael to talk to the Reinholdt and it goes badly, with Gwenvael sticking his foot in his mouth big time. He embarrasses Dagmar which causes her to withhold the information he needs. Gwenvael doesn't want to admit his failure to Annwyl, so he has to plot and plan on how to get back into Dagmar's good graces so she'll deign to talk to him again.

It takes a bit of work but Gwenvael is able to convince Dagmar not send him away and eventually, to work with him on negotiating an alliance that would help both sides. As part of this, Gwenvael and Dagmar end up travelling together and trouble does cause them to spend more time together than planned and they come to trust each other. Dagmar ends up going south with Gwenvael and is a great help to Annwyl and her court. While she's there, things between Dagmar and Gwenvael continue to grow and eventually turns into something they both know they want more of and when more trouble comes their way, it just solidifies their need to be with each other. Thankfully, while the situation looks pretty bad for a while, things work out nicely and are pretty much solved by the end of the story, allowing Gwenvael and Dagmar to start on a HEA together.

I greatly enjoyed this story. I thought Dagmar was a great heroine and she was a perfect match for Gwenvael. Dagmar is so smart, cunning and manipulative....I really wish I was that crafty! Gwenvael is a good guy, even with his tenancy to be a bit of an idiot at times. I really liked that he didn't fight the feelings he had for Dagmar once he recognized them and didn't bemoan his lost "playboy" status. Overall, I loved the characters and I thought the story was great and very engaging so I'd recommend this story/series.

loved it. funny and all the feels

honestly this probably my favorite of the series when it comes to the lighter side of Aiken and her writing. you don't have to be a warrior to be a badass and sometimes being a womanizing flake is just a mask. or part of one. this has comedy, adventure and some steamy romance. Hollie Jackson does a superb job with all the voices. had no trouble keeping track of who was who and felt the narration really made the characters and story come alive.

My favorite in the series!

This story is fun, funny, fast paced, and intricately woven together. It continues building this universe and its characters. I'm looking forward to the next book already.

Laugh

I think this book in the series has been my favorite. I’ve laughed so much.

Excellent Story - painful narrator

I really hate to leave bad reviews, but the only reason I’m sticking with this series & this narrator is because the author is so wonderful. I totally loved this story. The characters can be so funny. However, the narrator is sometimes very hard to listen to. Her reading is at times so stilted & character voices sometimes just strange. I DO recommend this book & series - but know that it can be annoying to listen to

I enjoyed this story

I will not tell a lie I enjoyed these series, I found all the Dragon Kin books narrated by Hollie Jackson hilarious great and I love the way Hollie made each person distinctive and I like the lighthearted approach to everything. The only thing I do not like is the way the women all the women are always insulted by family and enemies alike(slut, cow, sow, and bitch) yet the men get nothing at all. I know some of the insults are made with no malice (especially between the women of the family) intended but it was annoying.

The Best Twist on A Beauty and the Beast Ever!

If you've reached the third book of this series, you know what to expect...and you get that and more, when the Beauty...er....Handsomest of Dragons meets his match when he finds a bespectacled and unassuming, but oh so very dangerous, Beast.

Love the story but not the narrator's voice

Would you consider the audio edition of What a Dragon Should Know to be better than the print version?

No

What was one of the most memorable moments of What a Dragon Should Know?

Anwyl coming back to life, the bits with the twins

How did the narrator detract from the book?

the narrator's voice reduced these headstrong lovable characters to annoying and unbearable.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I had a few laugh out loud moments

Another awesome addition to the Series

To those that care about reviews: HEAR ME! This Series is Everything you want! If you like solid world building, character development, storylines with close knit familial bonds, strong female leads that can protect themselves, strong male leads that make you want to toss your panties at them (if you were that type of girl which of course you are not), ever building chemistry mixed with romance and a well paced novel then Dragon Kin is definitely for you. By the end of this book I wanted my popcorn, tea, and even my pearls to clutch when a nice moment of dramatic irony climaxed beautifully. Yes, Gwenvael is a bit annoying. But the Beast more than makes up for that. Fortunately he is sexy at certain moments which help combat the mental image he evokes of the good looking but silly jock in a ‘80s movie at times. It’s a slow start but by the middle you’ll be missing your bedtime to stay up a bit longer to hear the next part. Oh and did I mention Annwyl lovers will be thrilled too? I highly recommend it!

You have to listen to this series

Awesome work Mrs. Aiken keep on doing what you do. My coworkers think I am probably crazy sine I laugh so much.