Representation: N/A
Trigger warnings: Physical assault and injury, imprisonment
Score: Seven points out of ten.

I've never heard of this book before, but I heard there's a show based on the authors' works now. I picked this one up hoping that it would be enjoyable after being disappointed with another novel. Imagine my surprise when I liked this one and it's the first instalment of a series. Where are the second and third parts?

It starts with the first character I see, Jessa Lebron, living a typical life except for one attribute: she is an extraordinary person only because she can also shift into a wolf, hence the name 'wolf shifter.' I only got to see her alone for the opening pages until I meet more people including Mischa and Braxton. Dragon Marked slowed from there but not before the most dramatic plot twist happens: Jessa can also shift into a dragon (so she's a dual shifter? Fascinating.) The narrative stated that Jessa's ability has immense ramifications but I couldn't understand why, other than she's on the run and now in prison. What an overreaction. The conclusion is nail-biting as it finishes the first in the trilogy on a cliffhanger. ( )

Probably more towards the 2.5. This was alright, nothing special but fairly decent. It was mostly straight forwards about what you'd expect of a paranormal romance. The characters were okay. I'll probably pick up the next one. ( )

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Dragon Marked

Jessa lives in the magically cloaked town of Stratford, Connecticut. She’s lived her life believing she was an alpha female wolf shifter. But when her mother returns to town with a sister in tow, Jessa begins to learn about the secrets that have been kept from her. She is dragon marked. And if anyone finds out, it is a death sentence.

There is a lot of information packed into Dragon Marked. So much information caused multiple instances of exposition that I could not retain. Jessa is extremely close to four brothers, the Compasses, but when they are introduced it is paragraph after paragraph of each one’s description. A similar occurrence happens when you are introduced to the council. And honestly, readers don’t need to know what each council member looks like right away because they do not immediately interact with Jessa. It would have been easier to see the descriptions spaced out a bit and worked in organically.

One of the major downfalls to Dragon Marked is how the characters behave. No one acts appropriately for their station or age. In the opening scene a teacher threatens Jessa. And then switches the class subject to ways shifters can die. The Compasses reciprocate by threatening the teacher, yet no one suffers repercussions. It sets the stage for constant tension between characters. Which I normally enjoy, but it was immature macho posturing throughout the entire book. And when Jessa tries to pull feminist views of not wanting to be lead by men, it’s awkward because Jessa and the Compasses act like their are thirteen instead of twenty something.

I will say that Jaymin Eve did a great job highlighting the relationships between Jessa and her sister Mischa. The awkwardness of first meeting, and then trying to form a family tie was spot on. They were slow to develop towards each other and I loved how they started siding with one another. However, this is not a series I will continue. ( )

BOOK BLURB:

As a wolf shifter with razor-sharp senses, Jessa Lebron can perceive the slightest change in the air. And her lupine instincts go into overdrive right before her mother, who abandoned her years ago, returns to the pack bearing secrets that change everything.

The biggest secret of all: Jessa is dragon marked, a designation that places her in grave danger. The dragon marked are destined to resurrect the dragon king, a fearsome ancient warmonger. And they must be eliminated.

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to live as a shifter, or a vampire, or a troll? Well, maybe not a troll, but you get my drift. To live in one of the fantasy worlds we immerse ourselves when we pick up a book of this genre. To live in a community that takes care of each other and protects their own to the detriment of themselves? I would love to be Jessa. To have the Compass boys at my back no matter what. To be loved as deeply as she is and to love another like she does.

I liked the way the author presented the abandonment my Jessa’s mom and her reappearance of her with her “surprise.”

I enjoy the idea of a possible love triangle/quadrangle/ true mate angle. I hope in my heart of hearts that she chooses to address her emotions and those of Braxton’s, but I feel like there could be something with Louis or, at least, I would feel bad if he gets left out in the cold. This could easily be a Twilight/ Vampire Diaries story with Team Braxton/Maximillian/Louis banners floating around.

I can’t wait to see what the bear shifters have against the Lebron’s and how Jessa is going to help in the war that is coming. I wonder if she will be a positive player or if she will end up on the other side of the fence.

I really liked this book. It was sitting on my TBR list for NetGalley for longer than it should have and am sad I didn’t make it a priority as it is my preferred genre and is pretty much the type of story I like to read on any given day. It has wonderful dialogue without many he/she said moments or if there are, they aren’t very noticeable. I followed the end of the book with an immediate search and seizure of book 2, Dragon Mystics and am happily plotting my alone time with the next chapter of Jessa’ adventures.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me a free digital copy in return for an honest opinion. ( )

I requested a review copy of DRAGON MARKED off of NetGalley on a whim and I was pleasantly surprised that after I started reading DRAGON MARKED I didn't want to put it down.

I loved Jessa from the first chapter. She is fierce, protective, loyal and an all around bad-ass. She finds out very quickly into the book that her absentee mom is back and oh yeah, she has a sister. If that wasn't bad enough she finds out her sister is actually her twin and they are dragon marked.

I absolutely adored Jessa's best friends and squad of protectors/pack mates (all of which are hunky guys). The Compass' are just as much a part of the story as Jessa is and I looked forward to reading about them and their antics throughout the book. There is a little bit of romance and a lot of sexual tension going on in DRAGON MARKED. Since I have already read book two, I know how things play out and I am not sure what events actually took place in DRAGON MARKED to separate them, so that is all I will say about that.

I thoroughly enjoyed DRAGON MARKED. In fact as soon as I was done I purchased book two, DRAGON MYSTICS, and read that. When I was done with DRAGON MYSTICS I saw that Jaymin had another series I thought I would enjoy, The Walker Saga, and the first book was free, so I read that. When I was done reading FIRST WORLD I had to read all the books in that series too. It looks like Jaymin Eve has a new loyal follower.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )