A big thank you to NetGalley and KR Press, LLC for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the beginning of a new series, but I believe it is a spinoff.  I found this to be an interesting premise. I liked the characters they had spunk.  I did find it slightly annoying that Star was afraid to admit what she was to her mate.  Overall a good read.  3.5 stars

"Ancient Protector" is the 1st book in the new series with Lachlan and Star's story. Lachlan, the dragon shifter will meet his mate and his match when he meets up with Star, another alpha. She and her sister are the only two of their kind left in existance. Their story gives the reader loads of drama, suspense, action, lots of shifters, and sexy romance. They do find their HEA, but not without plenty of page turning events that readers look for in a Katie Reus story. When it comes to a book that is hard to put down, Katie Reus does it best. Ancients Rising, is a new series and a spin-off from the Darkness series. **I was gifted "Ancient Protector" via NetGalley and leave my review voluntarily based on my reading** 5 Stars!

Ancient Protector by Katie Reus is mainly set in a post apocalyptic New Orleans after an uprising led by dragons has left most of the world in ruins and the exposure of supernatural beings has led to a new world order where humans are no longer the superior species.  Lachlan is an ancient dragon who after the loss of his mate went into hibernation millennia ago.  Recently risen he finds himself drawn to singer Star and will stop at nothing to have her.  Star, however has secrets and her own reasons for not trusting dragons so Lachlan will an uphill battle in front of him if he is to win his prize.

This is the first book in the Ancients Rising series and features some of the characters introduced in Katie’s Darkness series and it has got off to a great start with Scottish dragons,  werewolves, vampires, witches and a whole assortment of various shifters….. did I mention the Scottish  dragons wear kilts at one point?!  The characters are well written with a plot that goes at a steady pace with plenty of action and one or two surprises along the way.  My one niggle with this book was with the reincarnation element which just seemed a bit rushed to me and I would’ve liked if it had been explained in a bit more depth instead of just being presented as a bit of a ‘fait accompli’ to everyone.

Thrilling beginning to a new series with tons of supernatural beings. The story begins with superstar singing sensation, Star, a shifter hiding her true nature and in a race to save her sister, Aurora, from captivity and the evil dragon, Oscar. I love Star and her crew of shifters that she rules as their Alpha. The plan is set to free Aurora and with the help of a sexy Scottish dragon, Lachlan, it's successful. But it's an all out war as the dragons and Star's group of shifters cause the facade between humans and supernaturals to break. Humans are adapting to a new world after the fight left the world in chaos with the supernaturals taking over to create a new order in the face of ruin. The good are rooting out the bad and protecting the humans. But that's not the end of Oscar. His obsession with Aurora has Star's crew fleeing to New Orleans and under the rule of the city's Alpha, wolf shifter King. For me this started out reminiscent of other dragon/shifter stories but as it continued it separated itself with fabulous characters and the unique writing of this terrific author, especially with her sexy romance between the main characters. It wasn't too difficult to figure out the kind of shifter Star and Aurora are and the visual of their unveiling was fantastic. This was a quick, thrilling read with intriguing characters including shifters and also a few humans. I loved all the different types of shifters in different types of relationships and the set up for the coming stories. I can't wait Aurora and King's story. And my favorite the sexy lion shifter, Axel. I look forward to the next installment in this new exciting series full of fierce battles, sexy romance, and fantastic family and friends.

Will you ever be able to stop running? Star knows that she can't stop until she saves her sister Aurora and she knows that she is putting her supernatural family in grave danger by getting her away from this ancient dragon. Star knows that she can't ever let others know what supernatural she is as she will ne hunted as well. Lachlan knows there is something special about Star she calls to his dragon and he didn't know if he would ever find his mate and now all he wants is her but she runs before he can get to know her properly. He knows that he will stop at nothing to protect her as he knows that Oscar is coming for her & her sister and he knows that the dragon will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
But will Star allow Lachlan to help her or will she be too stubborn? Can he break down her boundaries and will he prove to her that she is his mate and that he will die for her?
Star knows that this powerful dragon wants her but she is afraid to show him what she is and how could she ever leave her family?
Will they be able to work through this together and work together to destroy Oscar for good? Will they find their way back to each other after all this time?
A great read. I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house in exchange for my honest review.

ANCIENT PROTECTOR is the first in a new series by Katie Reus. If you love dragon shifters like me you'll understand why I jumped at reading this. It did not quite meet my, admittedly ridiculous expectations but I did enjoy reading about Star and Lachlan.

Here are some points I noticed and wanted to point out:



- Both main characters are supposed to be alphas of their pack. I didn't feel that either of them actually had what it took to be alpha of a pack in terms of leadership but they were still quite likable.
-Another thing that bothered me a little: while Lachlan was an ancient who'd woken only a year ago from thousands of years in hibernation, his language was modern. Yes, this is PNR but I still expect a little bit of realism.
-I loved the mystery around Star's animal although I guessed it quite early on.
-The romance was as expected quite insta. I knew it was a shifter romance with a mating concept when I went in so I can't really complain about it.

This new series ties into Katie Reus's DARKNESS series which I haven't read. Although you can definitely read this book as a standalone without feeling lost you may benefit from having read this author's other series. I may have loved ANCIENT PROTECTOR a little more if I had been familiar with the world. With all that being said, this was a quick, action-filled read that had me entertained while I was immersed in this world of shifters, vampires, witches and magic. If you are looking for a new PNR series to try, give this a whirl!

Lachlan and Star´s story is part of a spin-off new series, this is a dragon and shifter romance that will keep you entertained from the beginning, this is my first book by the author and I can't wait to read more of them, I wish they get into an audiobook.

This is a great read for any fan of PNR romance. Its highly encouraged you read the Darkness series first, not because you have to, but it makes for a richer experience and its a really great series. This series picks up right after the world changing ending of the Darkness series. Humans how know about our paranormal friends. We get more dragon goodness here. More fated mates. And more dramatic greatness. 

I hope we get some stories for those mentioned in the Darkness series that were left with plot threads hanging.

Star is a singer and makes plans to put on a show so she can get closer to Oscar's home. Because she's sure her sister is being held against her will somewhere in Oscar's home and she and her friends are there to help her escape. 

Lachlan is at Oscar's estate to watch Star sing and decides to bid on her celebrity auction to have a date with her. But after he wins a date and listens to her sing, all hell breaks loose. 

After rescuing her sister Aurora, things get a little dangerous for Star and her friends when a bunch of dragon shifters come after her. But they get help from another dragon shifter who Star is sure was Lachlan because of his coloring. She's not sure why he helped her but she's thankful but when he finds her while they're in hiding and says he wants his date now, she doesn't trust him. I can understand why she doesn't trust him after hearing what all she and her sister have been through especially with dragon shifters. But he more than proves that he can be trusted and she let's him into her circle where he worms his way into her heart little by little. 

When Oscar comes after her sister again, it's Lachlan and the another alpha named King that help them. This story had me on the edge of my seat. The action was great, the romance was so sweet and heartbreaking at times that it really made me feel for them. They had been through so much over the years. 

Star and Aurora have spent their whole lives protecting and hiding what type of shifter they are and while I tried to figure it out, I couldn't find out until it was revealed to me. It was a really fun twist that had me smiling. I really liked the interaction between King and Aurora and hope they get their own book in the future. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series now. 

Disclosure: I was given an ARC via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ancient Protector Katie Reus is book One in the Ancients Rising Series which actually is a Spin off Series from the Darkness series...but this can be a standalone book/ series.  This is the story of Lachlan and Star. Star is a famous singer who hides a secret that very few know about her.  Start has set up a mission to rescue her sister Aurora under the cover of a Charity event.  This event has her auctioning off a date with her but she is surprised when someone starts bidding on her that she if completely drawn too. Lachlan is a ancient dragon shifter who has been in hibernation for a long time who wakes to a totally different world.  But when he hears Star signing he know that she is his fated mate.  Lachlan attends the charity event and wins the date with Star.  Star and Lachlan get separated before they can go on their date that Lachlan isn't going to let go.  There is danger that keeps them with their guard up.  Star still hasn't revealed her true secret to Lachlan..which will come as a big surprise.  I am a really fan of this author's writing.  I get my hot alpha male lead with the strong women heroine not to leave out the great adventure that this author brings.  I plan on reading more of her books in the future.

We're back in the land of dragon shifters, just after the events of Darkness Rising.

This may be spin-off series but it's absolutely jam-packed with action and isn't just an after-thought. 

Star needs to rescue her sister before the dragon who has captured her realises that she is beyond special.  Using her talent as a singer she whips herself into a superstar in order to be able to get invited to his estate.  With her rag-tag pack of shifters of various kinds, they infiltrate and rescue her sister.  But not before a particularly ancient Dragon comes to their aid.

Fast forward a few months and Lachlan finds himself in New Orleans.  He soon realises that Star is also in New Orleans and sets out to woo his mate!  But she is keeping secrets from him.  He's not sure what but he is determined to find out.

Lachlan is the perfect is of determined, craggy, Scottish Dragon, Alpha Male and romantic!  Star was a great personality.  Tough elder sister, tender friend and lover and reluctant alpha.  I cannot wait to see how the saga unfolds!

I loved this book! Katie has a knack for creating wonderful worlds in her books! Great writing, dialog, action, storyline and romance! Her characters enthrall you from page one! I highly recommend checking this book out!

WOW!! Dragon shifter Lachlan lost his mate a millennia ago. Unwilling to live in a world without her he goes into hibernation. He never thought or intended to move on, until Star. Star has other things more important than the sexy dragon shifter, like finding her sister.  On a hunt to find her sister Star encounters trouble. Lachlan decides to follow her and protect her. Can love overcome, follow along on a action packed adventure to see what happens.

Fantastic start to a new series!  I absolutely loved this book with its interesting cast and unique setting.  The action/suspense was twined throughout the story and you felt like you were part cast.  It did have moments of predictability but they by no means take away from the overall story.  I cannot wait for the next one!

This author can get me running when I see one of her novels I have not read. The bonus on this one is that it is a start to a series also. This also pops with that dragons are part of the world in which we are going into. Star takes us in this while being a singer she is also willing to take care of what is hers. Lachlan is irresistible and will be for her also but at first helping her. And oh he is Scottish just think of the lilt of his speech like music to the ears. This is also in New Orleans that has a magic of its own. Anyways it will take everyone to form a band of protection for everyone to deal with the drama that could come their way and also to have it stop. That could also have us caught up in more ways than one.

Ancient Protector is the first in the new paranormal romance spin-off series Ancient Risings by Katie Reus.  This series is a spin-off of her Darkness series.  You do not need to read the Darkness series to enjoy this book.  I have not read it, but I believe several of the characters from the other series make an appearance in this book which would be a treat for fans.  In fact, I enjoyed this book so much that I have put the Darkness series on my to-be-read-list.  

Ancient protector starts off with Star and her friends rescuing her sister from her kidnapper.  During the rescue, she meets Lachlan, an ancient dragon that has just woken up from a long hibernation.  The attraction is instantaneous and fated so the romance moves quickly.  The book is well written with great character development.  It has lots of action, with dragon fights in the air and more to keep the story interesting.  I highly recommend Katie Reus’s Ancient Protector to anyone who enjoys a good paranormal romance or dragons.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.  Ancient Protector was released on June 30, 2020 by KR Press, LLC.

It is no secret that I really, really like Katie Reus’ contemporary romantic suspense stories but I LOVE her paranormal romantic suspense ones. Ancient Protector is the first of a spin-off from the Darkness Series. It is beyond amazing. I once said that Katie Reus’ books were the kind that I loved to read but really hated it when I finished the last page, wanting more and more. That was certainly true for Ancient Protector.

Star and Lachlan pulled me right into their world so that I was begrudging the fact that I had to stop reading when it was time to fix dinner, going right back to the book when everyone was fed at this house. This story takes place when the world is at a new normal, haven’t we heard those words a lot lately. The reason for this is completely different but it was still surprising. If the story had mentioned the sudden shortage of toilet paper it would have seemed too weirdly prophetic.

One of the great things about this author is that her books read well as a stand-alone. Yes, there is a bigger picture going on in a series but you don’t feel as if you are being strung along to teased. The stories feel completed, not just the romance part but the over-arching theme has some closure too. I will say that two strong supporting characters had their story in Darkness Rising so that is a book that you will be tempted to read if this is your first Reus book. What I do know is that it won’t be your last. These books are addictive. 

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is a spin-off from her Darkness series and I’m so glad! I wasn’t ready to leave that world behind! Buckle in, this review will be long.

Some background: At the end of the last series, dragons were outed to humans. This then prompted all the other Other to come public as well. Vampires, shifters of all kinds, you get the idea. This book starts slightly before, then takes place a few months after.

Star is a pop star. Not just a pop star, the pop star. The biggest. And she’s getting ready to play a very important show. She’s auctioning off a date with herself for charity, but the show is about more than her career and more than the charity. One dragon bids on her and he bids a huge amount of money. She almost wishes she could stay and have that date but she has another mission in mind. And it doesn’t involve the sexy Scottish dragon.

Her sister was kidnapped by a different dragon and has been held captive by him for about a year. This show she’s playing is legit, but for Star and her bandmates, it’s a rescue mission. They’re retrieving her sister Aurora and nothing can stop them. Not even a huge dragon and his clan. Not even two huge dragons and their clans.

Lachlan is an ancient. He’s recently come out of hibernation and when he heard Star sing, he knew she was his mate. He plans on finding her, but first he needs to learn about this new world he’s woken into. When he hears Star will be performing at a charity event, he knows that is his chance. Moments after he bids on Star, she bails. He follows her and while she’s escaping, they both wind up showing their powers, thus outing themselves to the world, which winds up collapsing shortly after. It takes him almost two months to make it back to his mate’s side, and he knows how to get close to her.

He wants his date.

Fast forward a couple of months or so and while the world is grappling with not only what it means that humans are not alone, but that someone tried to take out all major cities and governments, and we see Star and Aurora settling in New Orleans. A wolf shifter (one you’ll recognize from the previous series) has started to rebuild New Orleans and to try to organize the area. However not all Other are okay with him running things. There is unrest amongst some groups, and Star for the most part is just trying to get back to normal. But her new normal is about to change.

Star is floored when her sexy Scottish dragon appears in New Orleans asking her for a date, and yet she finds she can’t say no. In fact, she doesn’t want to say no. The two of them have major chemistry and while Lachlan is making no bones about wanting Star, she’s running scared. Meanwhile…he still doesn’t know what she is. He’s assuming she’s some sort of shifter, or even half-demon, but no one knows. No one except her closest friends. And while he doesn’t care, I loved seeing how she confounded everyone, even him.

I enjoyed watching Star figure herself out. While Lachlan is ancient, thousands and thousands of years old, Stars is in her twenties. She’s Alpha of her pack, but she’s also Alpha with a capital A. Even Lachlan’s brother can’t hold her gaze for long, and he’s almost as old as Lachlan. There's a lot of mystery surrounding Star. But Star has always been about protecting her identity and that of her sister. With her sister slowly healing, maybe Star can start focusing on herself and what she wants, not just what’s best for her pack.

I don’t want to ruin what Star is, or what’s been going on in the background, but this is a great start to a new series and I for one can’t wait for more. I’ve peeked ahead and it looks like Lachlan’s brother will get the next book. You guys, we need more magic in the world, and Katie Reus is making that happen. Keep an eye on this series, you’re going to love it.

***Review copy courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

This is the first in a new series. This paranormal post apocalyptic read can be read as a stand alone. I understand it is a spin off from another series by this author. I had not read that and was easily able to follow this along. I did not ever feel like I was missing the joke so to speak.  

I love Dragon shifter stories so I was drawn to the synopsis to begin with. And then the author really delivers.  Fantastic world building!  She lays the groundwork for the reader to want to learn more about this rag tag band of heroes.  Star and her group are just as committed to justice and Lachlan and his clan. Loved the settings on both sides of the pond.  

Lachlan and Star are mates. It just takes Star a little bit longer to catch up to that fact. Along the way, she fights their attraction.  Lots of twist and turns in the story. Keeps you guessing until the end.  Great set up for wanting to learn more about this world, who is in power and who will find their HEA next.

Loved Star and Lachlan! Their chemistry is amazing and they're both strong characters in their own might. There is danger, suspense, lots of chemistry and tension that I felt on edge almost constantly, but in a good way.