Release Date: October 5th, 2021
Rating: ★★★★☆
Review:
“Could I be both dragon and human without betraying one or the other?“
I’ll admit, I picked this book up because it teased dragons and an enemies to lovers romance. Well, it delivered on both fronts, although not really in the way I’d expected for either.
The plot revolving around dragons was new and fresh, making the dragons more fearsome, menacing and human-like than a lot of the glamorizing done in many books now. Not to say that there isn’t still some dragon appreciation going on, it’s simply less a part of the overall story. I liked that the author managed to create a whole new take on some well-known creatures, giving them new interest. With everything the author put into this world she’s created there’s of course still more I would love to know, about the dragon’s magic, the shapeshifters abilities in contrast and just the structure of this world system in general. Why do the dragons behave somewhat human-like if they could choose to fly around and walk on all fours? Why sit in chairs and drink from cups? All really interesting questions that her narrative brought up but I love stories that make me think and immerse me into the plot. This author’s writing really pulls you into the story, so much so I found myself struggling to put the book down because the pull to know what was happening next was intense.
The biggest strength of this book was its characters. Kaida is a main heroine you can really sympathize with after all she’s been through. Her confusion and turmoil make sense and her development emotionally across the book doesn’t feel rushed. Tarrin ended up being my favorite character though because in the beginning we see him as brash and ill-tempered through Kaida’s eyes but gradually we come to know a soft-tempered, kind and considerate Prince with a changing mindset. Their growth together and apart helped to solidify them as relatable, strong characters and I adored all of their sweet, banter-filled moments. The romance between the two of them was my favorite part of the book and honestly, at least to me, the best part. It was definitely an enemies to lovers story but not as intense as I’ve seen other ones be, which to me was a plus. I liked that the romance was softer, the interactions gentler and we got to see both sides of them warming up to each other instead of the usual passion explosion that is enemies to lovers.
The side characters were interesting too, which is always a bonus in a book because many times they can get lost along the way, especially when the main characters are well developed. I actually think this series would be an interesting one to have a prequel to, given the dynamics between the King, Queen and Kaida’s parents, as well as the main villain Eklos. While some of their backstory was fleshed out in this book, a prequel could add even more depth to the narrative. It was nice too that this book didn’t try too hard to make me sympathize with the villain. There was a little bit at the end but here lately there have been a lot of books where the villain becomes a sympathetic character and honestly it was nice to see one who was just horrible the whole way through. It’s not that Eklos lacked complexity but I found the struggle Kaida and Tarrin had to deal with intriguing in a different way because they were having to fight against a villain who was willing to do whatever it took to achieve his aims, rather than them trying justify his actions because of a traumatized past. There may be hints of that but personally I hope it sticks with him being truly villainous, some stories work better that way. I like too that even though this book had extra characters, none took the focus off of Kaida and Tarrin. While I like having other characters to interact with the main ones, it can get jarring when there are too many characters vying for attention in the story, luckily this one didn’t have that problem.
Now I will say that, although I loved this book, there were a few things that did bother me. For one, Kaida’s growing powers coming across as a deux ex machina plot device. With her having no prior knowledge of her abilities and pretty much zero skill, it started to come off as super unrealistic when she would manifest powers at an opportune moment. Maybe it’s just me but I prefer characters who are able to show weakness and then grow over time, even if their magic isn’t stunningly more powerful than anyone else’s. To me her original characterization was on a good trajectory as it was so there was no need to have her become extra powerful. I liked the concept of her as a shifter who preferred her human side and wish the author had left it with her only having the basic abilities but learning how to hone them with Tarrin. I believe it would’ve shown her tenacity and determination to keep in touch with her humanity and not rely on the magical side of herself.
Another issue I had was that the plot seemed to jump ahead without adding in important details. For example, with the shifter bond, Kaida was always curious how the mental aspect worked and she was supposed to receive training to help her. However, there ended up being no training in regards to this part of the bond and then later she seems to fully understand how the connection works between her and Tarrin and is able to use it. It would’ve been nice to see the development of their bond growing and him teaching her how to communicate through it. Lastly, I felt the violence in the book tipped over a little into the gory side. While the book did have a darker tone where the dragons and magic were concerned, the violence bordered on gratuitous at times and could’ve been backed off, especially when some of the things that happen to Kaida make it seem impossible she would survive. I know it’s fantasy but there’s a level of believable injury we expect villains to inflict vs. overly gruesome injury where it no longer seems realistic the heroine would be functioning anymore and there were moments the book crossed over into the latter of these two scenarios.
Overall though this was a spectacular read. Imaginative in its concept and fantastic in its delivery, I’m so excited to see where the author takes this series. I’ll definitely be coming back to see what becomes of Kaida and Tarrin as they continue their journey. I would recommend this to anyone who’s looking for a new twist on dragons, some tension-filled romance and fierce fantasy.
– I voluntarily read and reviewed an e-copy of this book I received for free through BookSirens. All thoughts and opinions are my own. –
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Author: Emily L. Schneider
Synopsis:
She lived her whole life enslaved to the dragons.
But now she’s one of them.
Seventeen-year-old Kaida, a human, has spent her entire life enslaved to the dragons who slaughtered half the human population a thousand years ago. She is forced to serve her ruthless Master, Eklos, until one deadly summer day when the Prince of Elysia saves her life.
Prince Tarrin steals her away to the Royal Palace, shocking Kaida when he reveals that she is mutator formarum.
He promises her safety, but when they uncover a dangerous conspiracy to rid Elysia of the Royal Family, she begins to question how safe she truly is.
And when desire blooms between Kaida and Tarrin, in the midst of fighting for their lives, she must choose whether to save the very creature she swore to hate, or allow him to perish…
And destroy her own heart.
Babbling Books 