A Dragon's Dare

Okay, let’s be real: I picked up *A Dragon’s Dare* expecting another ‘sassy shifter saves the day’ trope-fest, but Tempest flips the script by making the chaos *personal*. The protagonist isn’t battling ancient evils—she’s battling her own inability to say no, and the fallout is *hilarious*. Picture a dragon trying to host a dinner party while her magic keeps setting the appetizers on fire. The humor lands because it’s rooted in character, not gags, and Dulude’s narration sells it perfectly. She nails the protagonist’s exhausted-but-game tone, especially in scenes where the absurdity piles up (the ‘incident’ with the enchanted blender had me cackling in my car). That said, the middle act drags slightly when the subplots multiply—Tempest’s strength is snappy dialogue and set pieces, not slow-burn intrigue. And while Dulude’s character voices are distinct, her male voices occasionally dip into caricature (the gruff love interest sounds like a 1940s radio detective at times). But these are quibbles. The audiobook’s production is polished, with no jarring edits or volume spikes, and the chemistry between the narrator’s delivery and the text’s rhythm is electric. If you love fantasy that feels like a late-night story swapped over whiskey—equal parts heart, snark, and ‘how is this my life?’—this is your next listen. Just maybe don’t play it while operating heavy machinery. You’ll be too busy laughing.