One hopes author Richelle Mead is not sensitive to negative reader reaction. If she is, this is not the week she wants to be on the internet.

Richelle Mead is an Urban Fantasy and YA writer with several series under her belt. Her latest release is the fourth and final book in her Dark Swan series, Shadow Heir.

And many fans are not happy with this book.

If you are a reader of the series but haven’t gotten here yet, I shall try to be as vague and spoiler-free as possible, but be warned...

There might be SPOILERS.

[What’s the deal?...]

So, after vampires, werewolves, demons, and angels, what formerly scary monster will become the next “It” alpha hero of the paranormal romance genre?

I’m going to go with the dragon.

We’ve seen the dragon slowly gaining ground over the last few years. Gena Showalter’s first Atlantis book featured a dragon hero. Deborah Cooke has the Dragonfire series. Now, we have Thea Harrison coming up strong with her Elder Races books.

How did this scaly lizard creature with a bad reputation become a contender for the next big brooding romance hero?

I blame it on Dungeons & Dragons.

Granted, I blame many things on D&D, but this time I really think I have a case. Yes, yes, I know, dragons have been around for a long time, showing up in almost every mythology of the world, but the dragon as we think of it in today’s pop culture is a recent creation.

[The genesis...]

A couple years ago, there was a Saturday morning cartoon called Shaolin Showdown. The basic premise was that four extraordinary kids were chosen to save the world with martial arts superpowers. There were a couple recurring bad guys in the series; the bad guy you saw every week was the comedic bad guy. You more laughed and rolled your eyes at him than ever took him as a threat.

And then there was Chase Young.

Chase Young was the smooth bad guy who showed up very rarely. He had long flowing hair and kicked butt. The heroes barely made it out when they were fighting him, and every time Chase Young came onto the scene, you were holding your breath, waiting for what was going to happen next.

Chase Young was bad, but you loved him anyway.

[Sounds familiar—tell me more...]

Back in the old days when Fabio was on every romance novel cover, I couldn’t resist making a purchase when I saw his windblown hair and open shirt. On this particular cover, Laura Kinsale’s Flowers from the Storm, he’s holding a few assorted wildflowers in one hand while the other is held out to the reader (with the requisite windblown hair and open shirt).

I had to check twice to verify that what I was reading was indeed a romance novel. Flowers from the Storm was simply a romance novel unlike any I had ever read.

By the time I finished the book—which took me longer than a normal romance novel—I felt worked over, the emotional journey it took me on draining me as much as any physical exertion. So of course I was on board for more Kinsale.

Her books are not easy, quick reads. Don’t read them when you can only give half your attention to the story. A Kinsale story is meant for when you are ready to turn yourself over to the experience.

[Dive in...]