Customer Reviews

Winter Kiss: A Dragonfire Novel

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The fight between the Pyr and the Slayers comes to a head in Deborah Cooke's latest DRAGONFIRE novel. In WINTER KISS, Pyr outcast Delaney Shea decides to take on the evil Slayers all by himself. He doesn't expect his own firestorm to happen, but when it does, Ginger Sinclair is the woman nature has made his very own.

Delaney Shea has been given outcast status from the Pyr due to his outbursts and almost bipolar episodes and impulses. Delaney takes it upon himself to find the maniacal Magnus and the mysterious Dragon's Blood elixir. The elixir is a source of power that must be stopped if the Pyr are to save the world's defenseless humans. After all, his life can't get any worse, right? The fireworks are only just starting - or should I say "firestorm"?

Red headed Ginger Sinclair is the epitome of `always a bridesmaid, never a bride.' Meeting the mysterious and sexy Delaney in a roadside pub during a closed party, she can't help but find herself attracted to the hulking enigmatic man. Sparks fly, literally, with the first touch of Ginger's hand on the man's arm and suddenly she can't seem to help herself. Finding out exactly why magic seems to be in the air when they are together is something that Ginger finds herself wanting to explore.

The Dragon's Blood Elixir and Magnus aren't forgotten but with Delaney's sudden recovery into the righteous dragon he has always been, things definitely get interesting.

WINTER KISS by Deborah Cooke has a different tone than her previous three DRAGONFIRE novels. It is as if Delaney has almost given up until meeting Ginger changes him for the better. He has been living on the edge of darkness for so long that I smiled in relief when he became the man I knew he was meant to be. Delaney is a bad boy, true, but even bad boys can be redeemed, and Delaney's redemption comes in the form of one petite fiery haired vixen named Ginger Sinclair. From first glance the two couldn't keep their eyes and their hands off of each other. When the firestorm hits, it is just icing on the cake.

A beautiful and emotionally gripping fourth novel, WINTER KISS is compelling and will keep readers riveted in their seats and breathing a happy sigh at the love shared between Delaney and Ginger. Favorite DRAGONFIRE characters return to aid Delaney in his quest to keep his Ginger safe. Ms. Cooke has upped the heat in WINTER KISS - sizzling hot love scenes and explosive emotions make WINTER KISS a must read!


Natalie S.

I have followed the Dragonfire series since it began and some I liked and some I sorta liked. This one I really liked. I have waited for Delaney's story because he is the wounded one, the one forced to seperate himself from the rest. I thought it should have come before Eric's but now I realize that Eric's had to come first so I forgive the author for making me wait for Delaney's story. Delaney was captured by Magnus and while held captive he was forced to drink the Dragon's Blood. Because he is mostly good he did not become a Slayer, but his blood turned Black like theirs and Magnus had placed some hidden commands in his mind under hypnosis. He was able to overcome the commands but had to seperate from his brother Pyr.

The story catches you from the first page because Delaney has decided to face Magnus and kill him as well as destroy the Dragon's Blood. This is the only thing that got me, how will one Pyr defeat all of the Slayers to get to the Dragon's Blood. So we know he will die if he tries, but we get the idea he doesn't really care anymore. Suddenly a partial lunar eclipse happens and his firestorm ignites.

Ginger is a treat, I really like how spunky she is. I like her reslove not to have a child that will have to do without one parent. She meets Delaney and both are swept away by the heat. After one night Delaney leaves her and heads out to fight Magnus. Ginger follows and because of her Delaney has to change his plans and rescue her from the Slayers.

As Ginger learns about the Pyr she tries to convince him that what they have is worth keeping. Meanwhile the other Pyr are arriving at his firestorm to protect him and his mate. Delaney is overwhelmed that they still consider him one of them. Meanwhile Rafferty and Sloan are convinced that there is more to Delaney's desire to face Magnus than is known. After finding Ginger, why is he still determined to fight Magnus, "alone". The firestorm has turned his blood red again.

I enjoyed the book and will look forward to the next. If you are following the series this is one of the best.

I have all of the Dragonfire Novels. They are all great reads, however, I am the kind of person that has to read in order. So far I have. I am axiously awaiting the next book. I can't wait to find out who the next person is to be featured. I love the series. I tend to be a reader who likes series'. There are so many interesting characters created in a story you want to find out about all of them. My shelves are full and my floor is next. Keep up the good work.

Cooke's latest book in her DRAGONFIRE series, WINTER KISS, follows the ongoing battle of good and evil fought between an ancient species of male shape-shifting dragons. The Pyr, whose job it is to guard earth's treasures, the most important of which is humans, must stop the malevolent Slayers, led by Magnus. In addition, the Pyr must continue their line, so when a Pyr's "firestorm" heralds his destined mate, he must do his duty and procreate. Delaney Shea's firestorm is one that is vital for the survival of the Pyr. In WINTER KISS, Delaney, the Pyr's ultimate bad boy, envisions the end of the world at the hands of the Slayers, so he voluntarily embarks on what amounts to a suicide mission to destroy the Dragon's Blood Elixir that Magnus created. It is on this mission that Delaney realizes his firestorm.

The insidious Elixir allows Magnus to reanimate the Pyr and Slayers who were killed but not yet "gone," turning them into Shadow Dragons. The Elixir also gives the promise of immortality, not to mention great powers, to the dragons who drink it, one of whom was Delaney who was force-fed the potion by Magnus. Though Delaney didn't give in completely to his dark side, he fears it. He valiantly fights his painful cravings for the Elixir, which is like the worst sort of narcotic, especially during eclipses. Because the Elixir already has a grip on Delaney, one that led to his earlier alienation from his fellow Pyr, and because he wants to spare his fellow Pyr from the nightmare he has endured, he determines that it must be he, and he alone, who fights the Slayers and destroys the Elixir.

But Delaney didn't count on his old Pyr friends, who are drawn to his firestorm and have vowed to help him. Delaney, along with Erik, Quinn, Donovan, Niall, and the other shape-shifting dragons from the previous novels in the series, reunite as they race against time trying to destroy the Elixir before Delaney is sacrificed to Magnus's grand plan.

Delaney also didn't anticipate the power of Ginger Sinclair, a petite, feisty, redheaded dairy farmer, with whom sparks are instant and lasting from the moment they touch. Though Ginger doesn't understand Delaney's circumstances at first, she hopes for a true and lasting love. She's nobody's pushover, and she's determined that Delaney will stay with her, even if it means fighting side by side with him on his quest for redemption. Women continue to be a strong and necessary presence for the Pyr in this series. In fact, Zoe, Eric and Eileen's baby daughter, is the new Wyvern and helped direct the good guys toward success, though not yet speaking. So the women are facilitators and healers in many ways - Ginger helps to heal Delaney's soul.

I enjoyed this book for many reasons. Cooke is an excellent writer, and in Delaney, she's created a multi-faceted hero, one who has existed in the figurative and literal dark. Delaney never expects to see the light again, yet he vows to complete one final and honorable act before he dies. As with all of Cooke's stories, this is a story about the power of love. It's a book about redemption and hope for the future. And, as a bonus, it's an exciting and fast-paced read! I would also like to add that the DRAGONFIRE series has the best book covers - they're amazing!

Cooke also writes incredible medieval romances, as well as contemporary fiction (written under Claire Delacroix and Claire Cross). I also just finished her second in the urban fantasy FALLEN ANGEL series, GUARDIAN, written under Claire Delacroix - I highly recommend it to readers of any genre, but especially those who like edgy, dark urban fantasies. Cooke is a master at world-building, whether it's a contemporary world where dragons co-exist with unsuspecting humans or a post-nuclear urban setting filled with dark, gritty imagery and rich characters (like in the FALLEN ANGEL series).

Niall's story is next in the DRAGONFIRE series, and it is bound to be fantastic!

The doomsday countdown that has lasted for more than a millennium seems to be ending as the shapeshifting dragons appear ready to finally defeat their adversaries the elemental Pyr who risk all to protect the earth. However, one Pry is in self-exile as his assessment is that he poses a danger to his peers. Delaney died, but the slayer Magnus brought him back to life using dragon blood.

Delaney fears Magnus may control him, but he also resolutely hunts the evil slayer with a strong need to destroy the malevolent concoction that returned him from the dead. However, as he stalks Magnus, Delaney meets his probable soul mate Ginger Sinclair who sends him into a firestorm frenzy of desire. They share one hell of a night, but though he wants to stay with her, his mission comes first. Ginger follows him and rushes into battle on the side of her beloved against a dragon.

The fourth Dragonfire "Kiss" firestorm urban romantic fantasy is an exciting tale with a superb ironic twist as Delaney meets his fire mate at perhaps the worst time this could occur. For her sake he leaves her to continue his quest, but underestimates Ginger's courage and intelligence. She makes this good vs. evil entry work and also makes it very entertaining and compelling.

Harriet Klausner

Haunted by nightmares of the end of the world and thinking himself lost to the taint Dragon's Blood Elixer, dragon-shifter Delaney intends to destroy the elixer which is the source of the evil Slayers' immortality knowing that it is unlikely that he will survive his quest. But it turns out that fate has given Delaney a chance to reproduce before he dies, when Delaney stops in a bar on the way to his doom he stumbles upon his mate and they are drawn together by the irrestible mating heat of his Firestorm.

Winter Kiss was a mixed read for me. There were parts that I really liked, Delaney starts out as a great tortured hero with shadows on his soul as a result of his captivity by the evil Slayers and the lingering effects of the elixer which cause him to loose control - during one episode he attacked his brother's pregnant mate. Also I liked Delaney's mate Ginger who is absolutely great. When the pair quickly connect for the consummation of Delaney's firestorm and he sneaks out of his sleeping mate's bed to go play hero/martyr, Ginger follows right on after him to find out what her mistake in judgement was - since her instincts had told her that he was a keeper and `cause you gotta learn from your mistakes'. I like that, when Ginger catches up with Delaney and gets clued in to the life changing decisions he made on her behalf, she takes him to task for planning to knock her up and leave her to raise a dragon-shifter child alone without even cluing her into the fact that dragons actually exist. Other parts I liked? Winter Kiss has a great big reunion of all the past pairs and their offspring which was sort of fun and I still like the idea of the dragon shifters themselves in all of glittery jeweled glory.

Parts I liked much less? Delaney's blind certainty that his planned sacrifice is the only way to defeat the enemy gets a bit tiresome. But even harder to deal with there's a discourse on diary farming and breeding cows that goes on too long and a lesson on eclipse cycles that is tedious that first time it's brought up and then it's repeated again later, double snore.

So overall, I still liked Winter Kiss, mostly for the spunky down to earth Ginger, but Kiss of Fate is still my favorite of the series. Next up dragon-shifter, is dream-walking Niall in Whisper Kiss: A Dragonfire Novel (DRAGON FIRE NOVEL)August of 2010, but it is Rafferty's book (title and date still TBD) that I am anxiously awaiting.

great story....heavily suggest you read first 3 of her books before reading this. If you like romance and creative imagination, you will love these.

Okay, can't tell you what's going to happen, all I can say is this, if this is the first book you're going to read, or if this is the first book you've read, STOP!! And start from book 1, it's a must.

The Dragonfire Series are intertwined, all characters flow from book to book, though the main character shines in each book, they all make their presence known through out the series. And the story lines are phenomenal.

Oh, do you like dairy cows??? What do dragons and dairy cows have in common?? It's a love match!

It's going to kill you to find out what's up. Got Milk!!

Deborah Cooke is another of my fav aurthors. The Dragonfire Novels are awsome. Her latest book Winter Kiss is nothing short of great. It an awsome story all around. The series covers everything you could want in a good book. It even covers taking care of our earth and ways we need to be "green". Deborah Cooke is on to something with this series. I love it!

To be honest, I was expecting a good but mediocre read. The three big eclipses are past. Delaney has been a minor character so far. Usually that's a recipe for cardboard characters and no plot.

Not this time.

The story caught me from the start and held on tight. The characters are well rounded, the plot well crafted and riveting. No cardboard and cheese here. As a reader who's sick to death of vampires and demons, dragons are a nice change and Cooke has created a batch I love. And after the sneak peek of the next book, I'm waiting impatiently for that one to come out, too. Deborah Cooke has earned another devoted fan.