Dragon and Anastasia's Spellbinding Romance Will Break Your Heart | Review: Dragon's Oath by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
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About
In early 19th century England, long before he’s a professor
at the Tulsa House of Night, Bryan Lankford is a troublesome yet
talented human teen who thinks he can get away with anything… until his
father, a wealthy nobleman, has finally had enough, and banishes him
to America. When Bryan is Marked on the docks and given the choice
between the London House of Night and the dragon-prowed ship to America,
he chooses the Dragon – and a brand new fate.
Becoming a Fledgling may be exciting, but it opens a door to a dangerous world...In 1830’s St. Louis, the Gateway to the West, Dragon Lankford becomes a Sword Master, and soon realizes there are both frightening challenges and beautiful perks. Like Anastasia, the captivating young Professor of Spells and Rituals at the Tower Grove House of Night, who really should have nothing to do with a fledgling…
But when a dark power threatens, Dragon is caught in its focus. Though his uncanny fighting skills make him a powerful fledgling, is he strong enough to ward off evil, while protecting Anastasia as well? Will his choices save her—or destroy them all?
Becoming a Fledgling may be exciting, but it opens a door to a dangerous world...In 1830’s St. Louis, the Gateway to the West, Dragon Lankford becomes a Sword Master, and soon realizes there are both frightening challenges and beautiful perks. Like Anastasia, the captivating young Professor of Spells and Rituals at the Tower Grove House of Night, who really should have nothing to do with a fledgling…
But when a dark power threatens, Dragon is caught in its focus. Though his uncanny fighting skills make him a powerful fledgling, is he strong enough to ward off evil, while protecting Anastasia as well? Will his choices save her—or destroy them all?
Dragon's Oath by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Rating: ★★★★☆
“Mercy is stronger than your sword.”
Continuing on with my House of Night reread (and in the case of some books, or these novellas, first time reading) with Dragon's Oath! To be perfectly honest with you guys, I'd been procrastinating reading the novellas for YEARS. We're talking almost a decade because I'm nothing if not consistently trash at keeping up with series.
It took me forever to get to Dragon's Oath, because, well, I didn't care for Dragon Lankford a majority of the time in general during the original series run. He rubbed me the wrong way. This changed with his Other World counterpart in Lost and, of course, the way his story arch ended in the original series run. Naturally, I got curious and sucked it up by finally reading Dragon's Oath.
I'm glad I did! I'm beginning to feel a bit hungover from the excellence that is the series' later years (and the superior sequel series: House of Night Other World) and felt like Dragon's Oath absolutely added an extra layer to the series. It was nice seeing the backstory to Dragon and Anastasia's romance; how Dragon came to be marked, how they came to know one another, how they fell in love.
Everything sort of clicks and shifted into focus for me throughout Dragon's Oath and I can honestly say that my opinions of Dragon have changed a bit more with it. Seeing Anastasia's quest for peace and her early stages as a professor, seeing Dragon's growth from before he was marked into his time as fledgling and then, of course, as a vampyre, was truly sweet. I thought the way that their romance blossomed was a really, really nice touch.
Plus, I am a sucker for opposites attracting one another. Give me all the softies who put the more arrogant/angry at ease. Experiencing how they came to be was truly a delight. There was a little of everything, despite its length: romance, action, magic, hope, loss and more. All of these moments really excel at bringing both Dragon and Anastasia to life.
My only complaint is that it was only a novella. I wish we'd had a full length novel, to give their connection more time to grow. I'm grateful for Dragon's Oath, though. It definitely adds something to what made Dragon's reactions, and anger and pain, so potent during his final arch in House of Night.
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