The Chosen never return. Samantha refuses to join them. In a world remade by dragons, she escapes forced bonding, navigates political betrayal, and hides in a tower with a stranger whose past is as perilous as hers. An MMF dystopian fantasy.
One woman. Two warriors. A bond stronger than dragonfire and far more dangerous.
The Chosen never return. When Samantha’s name is called, she leaves her family at dawn and walks the pilgrim road to the castle with cold light in the halls and a whisper in her head: "Serve. Obey. Belong."
She’s different. Beneath the command, she hears quieter threads, the soft pull of bonds, two voices warmer than the rest. One belongs to a betrayed mercenary with nothing left to gamble but his word. The other, a dragon-scarred recluse who walks out of sieges no one survives.
When the dragons strike and the castle locks down, protection becomes a trap. A dragon tears through the rafters and turns on her attackers, giving her a narrow escape. But that mercy only buys her time until the next lockdown.
Power-hungry men move to claim what she is, and survival means choosing her own bonds before they choose for her.
This is a romance story with two men who might be more than a shield, if the world and its secrets don’t break her first. (MMF)
Series note: This campaign is for Book 1 which ends on a cliffhanger. Book 2 deepens the romance and reveals why the dragons attack, and what makes the castle special. Book 3 delivers the takedown, and the Happily Ever After (HEA).
Two editions, same survival story, but only you choose how much fire burns on the page with Dragonfire (spicy) or Royal Court (closed-door)
I got asked this in one of the discussions so I am adding it here.
What’s the difference between the Royal Court and Dragonfire Editions?
The only difference is the spice level in the romantic storyline. Everything else is exactly the same: same plot, same characters, same ending.
The Royal Court Edition is closed door. It contains no on-page intimate scenes which is perfect if you prefer your romance with emotional depth but no steam.
The Dragonfire Edition is open door. It includes spicy scenes written in detail for readers who enjoy the heat with their fantasy.
Can’t decide? You can get both versions as add-ons!
Get open-door paperback and choose your spice e-book at a discounted price!
Get closed-door paperback and choose your spice e-book at a discounted price!
Get open-door hardcover and choose your spice e-book at a discounted price!
Get closed-door hardcover and choose your spice e-book at a discounted price!
Digital Bond (Dragonfire) - $12 Digital Bond (Royal Court) - $12 Add the other - $8
Spicy e-book version
Closed door e-book version
Stake your claim with the Dragonfire Edition or Royal Court Edition. You can choose the open-door, high-heat e-book of Dragon Regime: Reckoning with the discreet coverOR the closed-door e-book of Dragon Regime: Reckoning (retail cover)
Both come with lost journal pages from Samantha and Dezi.
This trilogy is angsty MMF why-choose with a science-fantasy heart: This campaign's book ends on a cliff, book two tightens the knife, and book three delivers a hard-won HEA.
When files are ready, you’ll receive DRM-free EPUB before anyone else.
Your name in the book acknowledging your support (to be collected in survey).
For the hardcover tiers you also get a 'you choose' spice level e-book.
Hardcover specs (current best estimates)
Genre: Dark Romantasy (MMF, why-choose)
Page count: ~250–360
Trim: 6.14″ × 9.21″
Bonus: lost journal entries, closed door - 1 extra scene or Spicy gets 2 spicy extra scenes
Stretch goals: foil on jacket, chapter headers, another extra scene, custom endpapers
Your name in the book acknowledging your support (to be collected in survey).
Dust Jacket on left and Case Laminate Cover on right for Spicy Version
Case Laminate cover: - Image only, no text on the front cover - Foiled where you see gold outlines - "Serve. Obey. Belong." with the same treatment as the title for the back cover - Foiled title, author name, and book number on the spine
Dust Jacket Mock-up for Spicy
Dust Jacket: - Full text front cover - No foil (Unlock stretch to foil) - Back cover "Serve. Obey. Belong" - Blurb on a flap - Author bio on the other flap
The Bonded Trio Bundle (Royal Court) - $90 The Bonded Trio Bundle (Dragonfire) - $90 The Dragon Hoard - $150
Closed Door
Spicy!
3 Books - Hardcover, Paperback, E-Book - your choice of spice level 3 Dragon Temporary Tattoos 3 Stickers 1 Art Print
Your name in the book acknowledging your support (to be collected in survey).
🐉 Office of Narrative Compliance Form 99-X (”Notification of Liberation from Bibliographic Context”). Key: DRAGON
The Hoard!
4 Books - Hardcover and Paperback (your choice of spice level), both E-Books 3 Dragon Temporary Tattoos (Plus any unlocked designs) 3 Stickers 1 Art Print (Plus any unlocked) Dragon Bookmark 3D Baby Dragon (Plus upgrade for FREE, if unlocked) ALL Bonus Scenes (2 spicy and 1 science + any extra scenes unlocked)
Most stretch goals added for FREE
Your name in the book acknowledging your support (to be collected in survey).
Author of dark romantasy, dragons, and why-choose chaos.
CJ Blood writes high-heat, high-stakes romantasy where crowns cut, dragons judge, and love refuses to choose. Expect MMF bonds, feral tenderness, political knives, and cliffhangers that hurt so good—until the book-three HEA punches through the smoke.
When not rewriting destiny with teeth and claws, CJ is stress-annotating maps, bribing the muse with iced tea, and color-coding schemes that definitely won’t spiral into rebellion.
Best for readers who enjoy: 🔥 MMF why-choose 🐉 Dragons & dangerous courts 🗡️ Betrayal, survival, and power plays ❤️🔥 Hurt/comfort, possessive devotion, found family ⛰️ Cliffhangers now, HEA in book three
This book was born from my own reckoning—grief, grit, and the stubborn hope that what’s broken can still burn bright. It’s personal, a little unhinged, and full of the kind of magic that finds you when you’re not looking.
CJ Blood – Dark romantasy & MMF why-choose (Dragons, dystopia, spice, political intrigue). Claudia Belle – Cozy fantasy, light magic, emotionally awkward rabbits. Claudia Blood – Science-fantasy/time shenanigans, found family under impossible odds (Relic Saga, Renegades Rising). Claudia James – Contemporary rom-com hijinks with big feelings and bigger messes.
I am super excited to cross-collab with Children of the Dragon by Azure Dragon Press!
Back this campaign at a physical reward level and before both campaigns end to receive a free 1 inch dragon Pin from each of us! The pin will be added to backers' carts after the campaign ends.
Concept Art: Excited to see how this comes together.
Due to Cray cray shipping regulations in the EU, EU backers won’t be able to get physical rewards this round.
If you’re in the EU, you can still hop in for digital tiers.
Shipping/VAT and customs fees are not included and will be charged in the post-campaign survey. Shipping rates fluctuate; I’ll use the best available rates at time of fulfillment (2026).
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