The Scent of Dragon's Blood by Kova Killian

This is the first time I am conflicted on how to do an overall description of a novel. The characters are fun to read and the overall idea is creative, but there needs to be more detail and organization. This is a fast-paced read, but the plot jumps from one idea to the next. The characters don't stay in one place long enough and the story is more along the lines of plot development instead of character development. I had a hard time understanding what the overall storyline was supposed to be.

The Scent of Dragon's Blood opens with Xenia working a fair nine hours away from where she lives, but there is never an explanation as to why. The entire time Xenia spends at the fair is written in summaries. I would have liked to see more about the job and the creature that stalked her there. Where did it come from? What did it want?

Also, Xenia undoubtedly has a past with most of the secondary characters, but it is never fully explored. I didn't feel a solid connection with any of the characters. There was a huge opportunity for Kova Killian to dive into Xenia's past with her cursed lover, but it was skimmed over by a secondary character. I felt like a flashback, or even a layering process of multiple flashbacks would have developed the overall emotional tone.

This book is full of potential, but it needs to be revisited and built up.