Book Review: Fire in the Blood

Summary: A princess in a dragon-guarded tower. The prince who is to rescue her. The prince’s ensorcelled dragon. And one enchanted keep that might just be enough to kill them all...
  It’s widely known that Princess Kayami Koto is held captive in the Enchanted Keep by a dragon of great ferocity and skill. So when the bold, daring and crafty Prince Akish attempts to rescue her, it seems only sensible to bring his own dragon, Rafiq.
But the Keep’s dragon is only the first Circle in the Keep’s Seven Circles of Challenge, and both Rafiq and the prince will have to keep their wits about them if they’re to survive and rescue the princess.
  There to help them is the princess’ serving maid, Kako. But why does Kako seem so familiar to Rafiq? Will she really help them, or does she have her own agenda? Rafiq isn’t sure, but he knows one thing: Kako may be the only person who can free him from his bondage to the prince, and that’s worth any amount of risk.

Thoughts: I really liked the characters in this book even more than its prequel. Funny, sarcastic and (does this count as a SPOILER? I don't think so...) a dragon that can turn human! I've used this several times in my own writing and enjoyed seeing someone else's spin on this trope! Then there's a fascinating maze/keep full to bursting with trails and tests. The perfect legendary setting! But here's a fun twist, the prince is borderline despicable (mostly he was just whining which made him more annoying than anything) and the serving girl is more than she seems (and maybe more than that)! I really loved the journey through the keep and certain bits with a character's family. I always really love seeing characters interact with their families and interact well at that! Overall, the first was great and this one was even better! I can't wait for the next Shards of a Broken Sword!

Content: Much less than the first, the girl's are said to dress a little skimpily. Something happens that is considered inappropriate but only to characters as a part of culture and would not be offensive to most readers. Things can get a little bloody and there's something of a shock (major plot twist!) at the end but nothing out of the ordinary for a fantasy. Mostly a clean story for (almost) all ages!