Playing with Fire (Silver Dragons, Book 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Katie MacAlister (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 6, 2008

Gabriel Tauhou, the leader of the silver dragons, can’t take his eyes of May Northcott—not even when May, who has the unique talent of being able to hide in the shadows, has slipped from everyone else’s sights.

May, however, has little time for Gabriel—not when she’s hiding from the Otherworld law, hunting down a blackmailer, and trying to avoid a demon lord’s demands. But her ability to withstand Gabriel’s fire marks her as his mate, and he has no intention of letting her disappear into the darkness she seems to prefer.

Then May is ordered to steal one of Gabriel’s treasures—an immensely important relic of all dragonkin—and he must decide which to protect: his love or his dragons.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Buffy... pleasingly crossed with Bridget Jones' -- Telegraph on A GIRL'S GUIDE TO VAMPIRES 'Smart, sexy and laugh-out-loud funny' -- Christine Feehan on YOU SLAY ME 'MacAlister continues her delectable contemporary paranormal series with another sinfully sexy, fabulously fun tale of love, vampires, ghosts, and demons' -- Booklist on SEX AND THE SINGLE VAMPIRE 'Horror romance readers will enjoy this one-bite sitting teeth in cheek (and neck) tale.' -- Midwest Book Review on SEX AND THE SINGLE VAMPIRE 'With its superb characterization and writing that manages to be both sexy and humorous, this contempary paranormal love story is an absolute delight.' -- Booklist starred review for A GIRL'S GUIDE TO VAMPIRES --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Katie MacAlister lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and dogs, and can often be found lurking around online game sites.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Signet; First Edition edition (May 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451223780
• ISBN-13: 978-0451223784
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.9 x 6.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For as long as she can remember, Katie MacAlister has loved reading. Growing up in a family where a weekly visit to the library was a given, Katie spent much of her time with her nose buried in a book. Despite her love for novels, she didn't think of writing them until she was contracted to write a non-fiction book about software. Since her editor refused to allow her to include either witty dialogue or love scenes in the software book, Katie swiftly resolved to switch to fiction, where she could indulge in world building, tormenting characters, and falling madly in love with all her heroes.

Two years after she started writing novels, Katie sold her first romance, Noble Intentions. More than thirty books later, her novels have been translated into numerous languages, been recorded as audiobooks, received several awards, and placed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. She also writes for the young adult audience as Katie Maxwell.

Katie lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and dogs, and can often be found lurking around online. You are welcome to visit her at http://www.katiemacalister.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars - Gabriel's 'Fire' gets the Silver Dragons off to a Sizzling Start April 22, 2008

By melindeeloo TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Exploring another corner of the world of sexy dragons, guardians, demons and such from her Aisling Grey series, Katie MacAlister brings a new pair to the spotlight. Playing with Fire is the first in a new series starring the yummy silver Wyvern Gabriel as he joyfully discovers his mate, the woman who can share his dragon-fire in doppelganger and demon-bound thief May. Gabriel and May are not Drake and Aisling, so even though we pick up pretty much at the end of Holy Smokes (Aisling Grey, Guardian, Book 4) -- and the background plot continues the confrontation between the Gabriel's Silver dragons and Drake's brother's Black dragons -- this series has a different enough feel that it is not a rehash.

May is something we haven't seen in yet in MacAlister's otherworld. May was created by a demon lord from her naiad "twin" Cyrene's shadow in exchange for her sister's "common sense", as a doppelganger this gives May the ability to shadow-walk to become almost invisible in the shadows which is quite useful her "career" - May is bound to the former silent film-star demon lord who created her, and forced to obey his commands to steal for him. May meets Gabriel when she stumbles onto Drake's estate while attempting to return a stolen item that had put a price on her head. Quite by accident Gabriel discovers that May is a wyvern's mate and seeks to claim her. The ever sensible May tries to refuse Gabriel, knowing the danger the demon poses - May has spent her life avoiding relationships knowing that should she take a lover the demon lord who wants May's body would likely order May to kill her lover. But Gabriel assures May that dragons are not so easy to get rid of and of course Gabriel is totally irresistible, so May lets Gabriel claim her in a fiery joining that literally burns up the sheets. But all is not smooth sailing for May and Gabriel, May will have to outsmart the demon lord or risk an eternity in Abbandon to avoid betraying Gabriel when her demon-lord commands a theft of a powerful artifact that will put all the dragons under the demon lord's control.

Gabriel is not as reserved as Drake or as controlling, so I enjoyed his relationship with May more than Drake's with Aisling. I liked that Gabriel was more willing to defy dragon etiquette and express his delight in his new mate and that he was unable to act with restraint in their romantic encounters. Also Gabriel's willingness to support May as she has to handle some dangerous situations in the book, trusting in the competence of his mate, and his willingness to place May's need to save her kidnapped sister over his need to acquire an object important to his Sept makes Gabriel a much more appealing love interest than Drake.

Much of the cast that we've grown to love from the previous books Drake, Aisling, and Jim are back in supporting roles. Since May isn't MacAlister's normal angsty impetuous heroine, Cyrene along with the ever irreverent Jim, the demon in dog form, serve to bring some of MacAlister's trademark zaniness to the story. Playing with Fire was a fun read setting up for more of Gabriel and May as they have some obstacles ahead of them as the story continues with Up In Smoke: A Novel of the Silver Dragons before they get their happily ever after.

46 of 53 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Another non-ending June 17, 2008

By Mfiona

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I like how Katie macAlister writes. However, I forgot that she doesn't end her books but continues the stories of the same characters in another book and then another book and I hate that. Her first group of books 4 in all (I think) were all about Aisling and Drake falling in love, fighting, breaking up and getting back together, over and over. I prefer to have a good story and an even better ending. Unfortunately you won't get that here since this is the same as before, great story but you don't know how it ends since it doesn't and continues in another book and then possibly another and another and ... . . . . ..

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars New series with familiar characters July 16, 2008

By Helen Hancox

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Katie MacAlister is known for her Aisling Grey, Guardian, series which is an enjoyable, if at times rather over-the-top, group of books. 'Playing With Fire' is the start of a new series, the Silver Dragons, although most of the characters are familiar from the other series. This means that readers who are new to this author might find themselves rather lost because of the large cast of characters, many of whom are barely introduced, and the continual references to events that have happened in the Aisling Grey books.

Initially this book started out with our heroine, May Northcott, in the middle of an attempt to steal an artefact. She is a thief who has to work at the bidding of her master, the demon Magoth. May has some rather unusual characteristics as she's a doppelganger, created from her sister Cyrene but with the ability to almost disappear, to 'shadow walk'. Doppelgangers are very rare so few know much about them and their abilities, thus May's success as a thief. However at the beginning of this book when May steals the requested artefact she also takes something else, something very valuable, which starts a whole host of problems. May very quickly has a price on her head and decides to return the extra item. In doing so she runs into a whole bunch of strange people including the dragon Drake, Aisling Grey, the demon dog Jim and another dragon, Gabriel Tauhou, leader of the Silver Dragons.

When Gabriel discovers that May is his mate he doesn't realise what her being bound to the demon Magoth means. As they try to work out who has stolen an artifact, as they have to rescue various members of their group who are kidnapped and as old Dragon politics seem to be coming back to haunt them, Gabriel and May have to see what they can build together, despite May's fears about Magoth. Gabriel might also have to choose what is more important to him - May or his band of dragons.

This was one of those stories where it's never clear where the plot is going but the ride is enjoyable. The variety of characters adds to this book, although as previously mentioned they could also be a problem for new readers. May is an interesting heroine with some un-heroic moments, a ridiculous sister and a sinister and yet also slightly laughable demon master. However a big disappointment to this reader was that the book didn't end with any great resolution - many of the plot threads weren't wrapped up and there was a major element of the main story that was not completed. It's clearly a precursor to the next book but this reader would have appreciated more of a close to this particular novel.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008