Ancient Protector has all the trappings for an amazing new paranormal series. Dragons, vampires, witches, and so much more. Plus, New Orleans!

Unfortunately, for me, this was my first book by Katie Reus- but- I am so stoked that I have such a range of backlog to immerse myself in.

Star is a shifter turned overnight pop sensation. She is using her new-found fame to help infiltrate the estate that her kidnapped sister is being held by a rich megalomaniacal ancient dragon. Star is being featured as one of the headlining bands to play at a multi-band concert held there, but also has to be "auctioned" off at the fundraising event. Lachlan, is the alpha of the neighboring dragon clan, is also invited to the concert but his main draw for accepting is the intriguing Star said to be performing at the concert and "prize" of the auction.

There is so much that happens here in this 'verse but we get glimpses of pre and post Fall and one of my most favoritist places on earth New Orleans. Now, I have not read the Darkness series, and this new -Ancients Rising- series seems to be a spinoff from that, -but- I did not feel out of my depth as far as the functioning of this world or any characters. I do feel like there were probably some cross-overs and knowing their backstories might have enhanced my depth on enjoyment, but I didn't feel like I was left out of any private jokes or a third wheel in the story.

I enjoyed the characters and each of their unique backgrounds and histories. There is so much potential packed in here, I am super excited to read their stories. I also enjoyed the portrayal of alpha-ness here. Generally, in paranormal books we get the OTT asshole alpha who takes over everything and pushes the line of protection into controlling. Here, we have Star as the alpha of her motley crew as well as an Alpha wolf of New Orleans. Other natural alphas who have stepped off of their general alpha standing to live under another alpha's rule as well as multiple other alpha dragons. I enjoyed how it was discussed that a good leader, a good Alpha allows others to lead when necessary and encourages others to their fullest potential not crush them into submission. I dig that so much. Lachlan, as an alpha, did not try to posture with other alphas, including Star, to establish dominance. So refreshing.

Great story, good suspense and world-building, great steam... all around I am super excited for more. Can't wait to read more about a certain wolf alpha and Star's sister, Aurora. And maybe get more on Lachlan's brothers. So good!

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This is the first book in the Ancients Rising series, and it’s a spin-off of the Darkness series. However, you don’t have to read the Darkness series to fall in love with the characters and world of Ancient Protector.

Star is a fantastic protagonist and leader, always thinking of her people before herself. She is selfless, strong, and powerful, and she’s well-respected. She is also a mystery. There are many types of shifters – dragons, lions, wolves, and more, but Star’s shifter identity remains a secret through most of the story. The reveal is fantastic, and I loved finding out what she was. I knew it would be something powerful and rare, but I was surprised nonetheless.

Lachlan is a wonderful complement to Star. He is an ancient dragon, newly awakened from hibernation. He has suffered much loss in his life, yet he still has hope. He is fierce in battle and protective of those he loves. Additionally, his views on women and equality are progressive and unexpected considering he is ancient and a clan leader. His devotion and loyalty to his people, Star, and other allies in the story is admirable. Plus, he’s a super-hunky and powerful alpha male! What’s not to love?

The sisterly bond is one of my favorite aspects of the story. Star and Aurora have a beautiful relationship, and it is clear that they love each other very much. Star devotes more than a year of her life trying to rescue Aurora from the evil clutches of a greedy dragon shifter, and Aurora struggles emotionally after being held in captivity. Star is patient and encouraging with her younger sister and pushes her without being bossy and overbearing. They understand each other well, and they have both been through a lot. They are a wonderful support for each other, and I enjoyed the progression of their relationship.

And, of course, there is the love story which is intense and strong. Star and Lachlan have a deep connection from the start, and though it is a bit insta-lovey, it still had a slow-burning feel. Lachlan knows from the first meeting that Star is his mate, but Star takes some persuasion. Used to keeping people at a distance, Star seems hesitant to let Lachlan get close. I liked that Lachlan had to work a bit to win over Star, and I liked that, though Lachlan is a possessive and dominant leader, he admires and supports Star’s leadership and independence. He is not looking to change her or control her. He wants a partner.

The ending felt a bit rushed in comparison to the rest of the book. However, with the way things ended, I have a feeling that we’ll see more of the couple in future books. Some things were left open, like the relationship between Aurora and King, and, hopefully, those stories will be expanded upon in future books. I want to know more about Star’s crew as well. Those characters weren’t as dynamically developed as Star and Lachlan, but their personalities were still unique and interesting.

Overall, this was a fun and well-paced story with great world-building, an interesting plot, and a wonderful romance. Thanks so much to Netgalley and KR Press for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

First, I would like to thank Katie Reus, KR Press, LLC and NetGalley.com for this ARC in exchange for my honest review of Ancient Protector.

Second, I loved it. I love Katie Reus' writing and style. I'm a big fan in heroine's being bad-asses that can take care of themselves but smart enough to know when they can ask for and use some help. Knowing when to do so is a strength not a weakness. The female lead and Alpha of this story is Star. She leads her own band of misfits to rescue her sister and find her true mate. Not the only female Alpha of this story but the one this story focuses on.

Lachlan, sexy Alpha male, who only needs one name. A Scotsman who you'll love for his protectiveness and his undying devotion to his people and his mate. He and his clansmen stand side-by-side in the fight for NOLA with its Alpha, King, and Star to protect his sister from the psycho-Dragon that would dare to hunt her.

There was a lot going on in the story and you can see where other separate stories are hopefully going to spin-off into their own books. This book was how Star and Lachlan share a past and find their way back to each other in the present. As always Katie Reus keeps the story moving forward without losing the reader in the side stories. Star is aptly a rockstar/popstar all in an effort to locate her kidnapped younger sister Aurora. She's the Alpha to her bandmates and childhood mates of different shifter varieties and they set out to rescue Aurora from the maniac that kidnapped her, Oscar. A ruthless ancient dragon shifter.

Lachlan appears and his preoccupation with Star becomes clear and the story really begins. It flashes from present to past but through a dream state that gives the reader a glimpse of their past together, even though Star and Lachlan have yet to figure it out.

This story was fast-paced and loving. Not sappy but the kind of romance Katie Reus has honed to make woman yearn and men say "I'd do that". There are plenty of characters for Reus to flesh out in this new series so I'm excited to see where she takes this. Personally, I can't wait to see just how King will win over Aurora because once you read this story you know there story is definitely coming. I give this book 5 stars and whether you read it or listen to it on Audible you will enjoy each word.

Star is a famous singer and something else she keeps hidden to protect herself. She is guarded and untrusting, and rightly so since she and her sister are some of the last of their kind. And now she and her motley crew of friends are on a mission to rescue her kidnapped sister.

Lachlan is an ancient dragon shifter alpha recently out of hibernation and a reclusive billionaire. He was still in mourning of his first lost love, but then he heard Star sing. Something about her called to him so he showed up at her concert during the escape and subsequently was able to provide some help. Since he is an ancient, he is a bit lost, awkward, and not used to how things work in the new world. And the whole world just went into upheaval anyway as the supernaturals were outed and are being hunted.

But now she and her group are hiding out in New Orleans and he seems to keep showing up. He is sure she is his new destined mate...but it might be hard to convince Star of that since she is an alpha herself. She is used to being in charge and making decisions for her group and they take care of each other. She does not think she needs another protector even though his help was nice. She has her own agenda and does not want him messing up their plans. But there is also an odd pull between them she does not understand.

There is a whole lot of turmoil going on in New Orleans. They will make new allies and have plenty of enemies to deal with. There is suspense, action, and serious fire between them. Lachlan is determined to break down Star's walls, find out her secrets, and make her his.

But will they survive attacks coming from various sources? And if they do, will she agree to mate with another alpha?

I have not read any books of the previous Darkness series this one spins off of and the author did a good job explaining the pertinent information. Fans of the previous series will apparently see some familiar faces based on what I saw on Goodreads. I was captivated by this rich, intricate world of all kinds of supernatural beings and hybrids. The characters all have quirky and interesting personalities to go along with their various shifter traits. It was a fun escape for me and I am looking forward to the other books in this series...and I am hoping we get some more with King too. I may even go in reverse and read some of the Darkness books when I have time since I liked Reaper and Greer.

I am so excited that this author has decided to take us back into this world! Dragon shifters are my jam but Ms. Reus’ dragons are pure perfection. Lachlan was obsessively protective of Star and another great example of my type of hero. Star was labeled “Alpha” which can often turn me off a heroine instantly. Not so here. She was sweet and caring but able to make the decisions necessary to protect her crew.

There’s a bit of mystery here surrounding this heroine’s origins. While it isn’t terribly hard to figure out, I was still anxious to verify if my guess was right or wrong. There isn’t really any relationship drama here as this story revolves around a villain and his intentions. This scenario is perfect to showcase the interactions between Star and Lachlan.

With a quick pace, plenty of action, a touch of wit, and some amazing characters we’ll be seeing more of, I found this to be just what I needed to relax into another world.

When Star’s sister is kidnapped and held captive, she and her crew work diligently to find and rescued her. When it almost ends tragically, Lachlan intervenes and assists with their escape. She is surprised when he shows up in New Orleans to take her on a date he won at charity auction. But, her sister is still at risk as her captor comes to the city. Different from the usual species of shifters abound in this book and entertain. I enjoyed this adventure and look forward to more.

Oh how I love a good shifter series! This is a spin-off from Katie Reus's Darkness series and from the start I am loving it and already totally invested in the characters we are introduced to. This author is so amazing at bringing you into her fantastical worlds and making you want to stay forever. It was great to get some more of the characters we already know from Darkness too though. But this story is about Lachlan and Star. Without giving anything away, I guess you could say they are like star crossed lovers in a way, but for centuries. Lachlan is an Alpha Laird dragon shifter from Scotland and ooo-la-la it is not just the fire he breathes that is smokin' hot! Star is a shifter too, and an alpha in her group of various kinds of shifters, but she is also a very special kind of shifter that doesn't get revealed until close to the end of the book. I really liked that suspense of wondering just what she was. This is an awesome story with plenty of good guys vs. bad guys action and of course the love story. The relationship and love that develops between the sexy dragon and the amazing female he wants to bring home to Scotland is so wonderful. I loved it and can't wait for more!! I hope King's story is on the horizon!!

This is book one in the Ancients Rising series, a brand new series from Katie Reus - who is one of my favourite authors - so naturally I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy!!

This book was excellent and it is another great book from Katie!

The book was fantastic - it had action and romance, was brilliantly placed and a real page turner - it had everything I look for in a book and more!!

It is 5 stars from me for this one, a very well developed story, excellent writing style and a stunning read with the wow factor - very,very highly recommended!!

Famous singer Star met dragon shifter Lachlan while she was performing and rescuing her sister after she had been abducted and held prisoner for a year. In the six weeks since Star went from saving her sister from an ancient dragon, the world found out about the supernatural race, a dragon clan attached and damaged most of the world, and everyone is struggling to stay alive. With her sister's former captor attempts to recapture her, will Star be able to put aside her pride and feelings to accept Lachlan's help? And will she be able to let the feisty shifter into her heart?

This is the first book I have read by Katie Rebus and it was one I could not put down! It was a fantastic read that grabbed you from the beginning and kept you guessing the whole way through. The book was extremely detailed and thought out with the secondary characters shinning just as much as the main ones. I cannot wait until the next book in the series comes out!

This book was given to me an an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Dragons, wolves, vampires, witches, and many more are in this one. Star is a shifter but her race is almost extinct and not many know what she and her sister are. If they did she would be exactly where she is now! Searching for her sister who was taken a year ago by dragons.

She’s a superstar singer as well and using that as a cover they springboard into action to find her sister. Her group is quite the ragtag group of shifters and honestly I loved every bit of their interactions. While on the rescue mission, Star finds hers mate but she isn’t concerned. However when she returns home everything goes crazy.

After the fall Lachlan has had enough of not having his mate and comes to the states to get her. Of course the bad guys are always waiting.

Mystery, shifters, sassy lions, alpha wolves, and sexy dragons. This book has it all and I loved every minute of it!!

Ancient Protector is Book 1 of the Ancients Rising series, which is a spinoff from Katie Reus highly read & popular Darkness series. As a longtimed reader of Ms Reus books and a fan of the Darkness series, I've been looking forward to this spinoff.

I was highly entertained by this book, so much so that I couldn't put it down. The characters were all fleshed out and Ms Reus is wonderful at world building, it truly shows in this book. In true Katie Reus form, we have the h Star who is not only beautiful, talented but she also kick ass. She is no shrinking violet with a strong sense of loyalty to her family. I absolutely love Star, one of the better h that I've had the pleasure to read. Lachlan is our H, an Alpha through and through. He knows what he wants and he will do whatever it takes to have Star. Their chemistry was sizzling hot!

If you're a Katie Reus fan, this book will not disappoint you. If you're new to Katie Reus, this book will sink its hook further. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of Ancient Protector, all the thoughts above are of my own.

After rescuing her sister from her kidnapper and dealing with the world being attacked by dragons, famous singer Star isn’t ready to trust anyone but her clan of misfits, especially not the handsome dragon Lachlan. There is something about him that is familiar and she doesn’t know why. When her sister’s kidnapper launches another attack, Star has no choice but to accept Lachlan’s help to protect her sister.

I really enjoyed this book. I found the world fascinating and really can’t wait to read the next book and learn more about the types of paranormals in this world. I really enjoyed Star and Lachlan. They had great chemistry and a great story. Also I actually enjoyed all the side characters and want to know all their backstories as well.

Star and her sister are very rare shifters, I won’t say what kind, and have hidden their shifter side all their life. Everyone assumes they are some kind of snow leopards since there are a couple in their misfit clan. Star is the alpha of their clan. She is strong, powerful, and determined to protect all her family. She doesn’t trust Lachlan at first but the more she learns about him the more she falls for him. I loved watching Star get sassy with Lachlan. He needs someone who will challenge him and be a strong mate.

“He had waited a lifetime, thousands of lifetimes, for her and he would do it again. She was worth the wait, worth everything.”

Lachlan is a dragon shifter who has just awoken after hibernating for thousands of years. He is protective, arrogant, and determined to win Star. I really hope we learn more about Lachlan’s clan in the future books because I really want to know more about the dragon clans in this world. I also really want to know more about the destruction done by the dragons. It mentions that a lot of the world was destroyed but this only focuses on New Orleans and it’s rebuilding.

Overall, a powerful start to a new series and I cannot wait for the next one.

*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*

I do love dragons.
Having loved the Darkness series I was excited at the prospect of more.

Star is a shifter but no one seems to know exactly what she is. And it does take a couple of chapters to work it out. Her sister Aurora has been kidnapped. And Star is about to launch a rescue mission when we first meet her.

Lachlan is an ancient dragon. Unable to live after the death of his loved one. Lachlan puts himself into hibernation. Recently risen he hears Star sing and her voice calls to him.

He helps her and follows her to the US. Where he attempts to win her heart and convince her that she’s his mate.

I throughly enjoyed this book.

I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by NetGalley.

Here’s the thing with marathon requesting things on NetGalley: every once in a while, you are granted access to a book you don’t remember reading about. If you get really lucky, it’s a book that you end up loving.

Friends, I got really lucky.

DISCLAIMER

I need to be very honest about the fact that I’m still figuring out the best way to review romance. I have read SO MUCH in the last year, but I still struggle talking about them in a way that feels natural. Sometimes it flows, sometimes it doesn’t, and I can’t figure out the rhyme or reason. That being said, I’m trying!

PLOT & WORLD-BUILDING

This book read more like fantasy than romance to me. Don’t get me wrong, the genre was clear based entirely upon the characters’ internal monologues declaring their desires, but the actual plot of the book was heavy on the fantasy angle. I suppose I should have seen this coming given that I knew it was a paranormal romance, but for some reason it didn’t occur to me at all. Instead, it hit like a happy surprise. Excellent!

The most impressive part of this book to me is the way Reus made it all seem so normal. Fantasy and romance have been so separate in my own personal reading experience that I just assumed combing them would seem ridiculous. It didn’t at all. The backdrop of this book is that shifters, initially lead by angry dragons fighting each other, collapse human society and take over the world. There should be a certain amount of whiplash with that, but it reads as something totally plausible and normal.

This is also a very well-developed world, which makes the story flow easily. Each faction - dragons, different types of animal shifters, vampires, demons, other things I’m sure I’m forgetting - have their own histories and boundaries that affect their interactions. On the one hand, I wish I had read other books in this world, so I wasn’t going in so cold. On the other, it was entrancing to just get thrown in and experience it organically. Either way, it was done SO well. Absolute precision.

CHARACTERS

The real winners in this book are the characters. I liked or appreciated every single one them. The good guys, the villains, the family dynamics, the different powers - it was honestly just cool. How’s that for a terrible description? Alas, it’s true.

Focusing specifically on Lachlan and Star, even knowing from the synopsis that they were each other’s endgame, their relationship developed so organically. All of their emotions, despite being supernaturally huge and possessive, felt so completely human. Their love was ancient, but they were discovering it as though it was new. I can’t adequately describe the nuance Reus used, but it was a special experience to read.

Also, as I’m sure you all know at this point, I’m a sucker for a good found family, and Ancient Protector has that in spades. The individual groups and factions make up their own individual families, and the groups (that like each other) make interconnected families. It gives me warm and fuzzies all over the place even as they are preparing for what could turn into a war.

One note: these are the filthiest internal monologues I’ve ever read. I’m not mad about it, but it’s there from start to finish.

CONTENT WARNINGS

Kidnapping
Description of sexual assault

READING EXPERIENCE

Before reading Ancient Protector, I would have sworn up and down that I don’t like paranormal romances of any kind. I don’t know why, because I hadn’t read any, it was more of a feeling I had.

Dear reader, I was wrong.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I picked it up one Saturday morning expecting to knock out a few chapters before jumping into housework. Instead, I finished it in one sitting. It swept me up entirely. I took no notes, recorded no highlights in my Kindle, nothing. I just devoured it. No regrets.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Aside from a lazy story transition between the first chapter and the bulk of the story, this book was nearly perfect. I would recommend it to anyone who thinks a supernatural dirty dystopian novel sounds like a lot of fun. I never thought I would have a reason to put those three words together, but I’m THRILLED that I do!

Thank you to NetGalley and KR Press for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Awesomely steamy, actiony goodness! Katie Reus continues the Darkness universe with a new series that introduces ancient sexy dragons and a new kind of all-powerful shifter, that's everything a supernatural heroine should be - witty, confident and sexy. I can't wait for the next instalment!

Great start to a new paranormal series by Katie Reus.A Scottish dragon and a sassy singer and more. Lachlan is newly out of hibernation and he knows that Star is his mate but she doesn’t trust dragons one bit. Lots of great supporting character interaction. I’m really looking forward to more books in this series. I definitely want a book about King and Aurora.
Thank you NetGalley for a advanced copy of this book for my honest review.

This is the first book of the series, a spin-off from the Darkness World of hers.

I love how this was introduced. The new and the old characters made some cameo, and we get to see how their loves are. The way this story was written is good too. Each new people will surprise you. There are some characters in the book that will make your head explode in anger and some you will fall in love with.

I look forward to reading the other books in this series. Ms. Reus once again captured our hearts with PNR story that we will look forward too.

"Star" is a famous singer and has nothing else on her mind but to rescue her sister. Her sister is being held on a Dragon estate and when Star and her team of shifters make the move to save her they are involved in a battle that unveils shifters to the world. Lachlan, an ancient dragon who has been in hibernation awakens, he is drawn to the voice of "Star" Reus writes a great start to a new series filled with characters that grab the reader into wanting their romantic HEA. A copy ofthis book was provided by KR Press, LLC via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." Added draw is the story takes place in NEW ORLEANS!!

Okay another hit of a series, I'm predicting! This is the opening book to this series and as sci-fi series it takes me a bit to get into it but I was pretty hooked almost from the beginning of this one.

You'll love the characters and the descriptions of each person and who and what they are. Supernaturals abound in this book and I cannot wait to read more.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A perfect paranormal romance! This has everything! An obsessively protective Scottish dragon Alpha Laird, a lovable Alpha female who is leader of her own crew, and a host of intriguing secondary characters of various paranormal origins.

Lachlan is the dragon who has awakened from millennia in hibernation to discover his unique attraction to a rock star named, Star. Lachlan originally went away thousands of years ago to deal with his grief over losing his one true love, a delicate mortal human girl. What a coincidence that Star reminds him so much of his lost love!

Star, for her part, is busy rescuing her sister from an diabolical kidnapper. She’s using her celebrity status as a cover while hiding her true nature. Star recently started having vivid dreams about a young girl engaged in an elicit love affair with a powerful dragon. So distracting! When Lachlan bids for a date with her at a celebrity auction, and wins, Star is shocked by the intensity of his gaze and her own reaction to him.

This was a gleefully romantic setup with tons of emotion, sensuality, action and fun. The cast is vibrant and thoroughly imagined, with unique skills, personalities and their own charisma. Very well written. A fantastic opener for a new series!

This is a voluntary review of an ARC copy provided via NetGalley.