Information:
- Author: Kamilah Cole
- Genre: Fantasy
- Page Count: 386
- Year Published: 2023
Read This If You Like:
- Black writers/characters
- Queer Representation
- Dragons
- Dual POV, Third Person
- Absolutely Stunning Covers
- Fantasy Boarding Schools
- Sisterly Bonds
- Chosen One Trope (but transformed)
- Enemies-to-lovers (and slow-burns)
- Messages about the Horrors of Colonialism and War
- Debut Authors
- Starts of Duologies
- Cliffhanger Endings
Spoiler-Free Summary:
Five years ago, the dragon-riding Langlish Empire attempted to colonize the Jamaican-inspired island of San Irie. But they were defeated by Faron Vincent, a teen blessed with the powers of the gods. Now 17, Faron is now still remembering the horrors of the war and proving to be an annoyance to her neighbors. When the Queen of San Irie announces a peace summit with the commander of the Langlish empire, Faron expects to simply show off her power and leave- until her beloved sister, Elara, unexpectedly bonds with a Langlish dragon. It is soon revealed that Elara must be sent away to Hearthstone Academy to train- and the only way that Faron can destroy the bond with the dragon is to kill her sister. As the separated sisters attempt to find their way around the bond, they both discover dangerous secrets at the heart of the Langlish Empire that could destroy San Irie for good.
Review/Opinions:
If you’ve been keeping up with book news lately, this book has been appearing frequently on lists of most anticipated debut authors and YA for 2024. And I’m happy to say that it’s definitely worth reading, even though I normally am not the biggest fantasy reader. I’m going to start by mentioning this beautiful cover- it’s definitely one of the most stunning I’ve seen, and the story inside is just as good.
The world created in this book is beautifully developed. My main reason for picking up this book is the promise of dragons, and the book didn’t disappoint on this factor- there is a lot of development on the whole backstory surrounding them, and we get plenty of page time with them too- one of the main characters is sent off to a sort-of magical school to learn how to fly with one, AND she falls in love with the girl she’s flying with (more on that later.) There’s also Jamaican inspired gods supporting Faron. But beneath the fantasy there are also some messages- specifically, on colonialism and war. The book takes place 5 years after the Langlish Empire tried to colonize San Irie in a brutal war, and Faron and Elara frequently remember its harsh consequences and the damage it caused.
The main characters in this book are… interesting. Faron was probably one of the most unlikable YA protagonists I’ve read- the first line of the book is “Faron has been a liar for longer than she has been a saint.” She frequently lies to people, complains, and is overpowered. But it made sense for her character- essentially she’s blessed with a lot of magical power and now has nothing to do with it since the war is over. And Faron does manage to mature quite a bit throughout the story. Elara was also a good character- she certainly was a lot more mature than Faron, but she felt a bit boring and didn’t have as much development.
The romances in this book were also beautifully done. Both Faron and Elara’s chapters contain a romance subplot, and both are mainly enemies-to-lovers stories. Faron allies with Reeve, Elara’s friend who Faron looks down on due to his connections to the commander of the Langlish Empire. Meanwhile, Elara bonds with Signey, who is her female co-rider (as the dragon Elara bonded with needs two riders.) Both the love stories have the same structure- the main characters and the love interests start as rivals, begin a reluctant truce, and then start to fall for each other. The romances are both slow burns, and their relationships aren’t fully established by the end of the novel. But they still were very wholesome and passionate romances, even if they are a little underwhelming.
I do have one major dislike towards this book- the pacing. This is a problem that comes up in many fantasy novels I have read, and it feels like this book has a slow start that doesn’t pick up a whole bunch, especially in Faron’s chapters. The ending was probably the best part- it had many shocking moments and plot twists. It does end in a major cliffhanger too, which I hope gets closed up soon.
Overall, fans of diverse stories and epic fantasies will definitely love this novel. It has fully developed characters, a beautiful world, and dragons.
The book is the start of a duology, and it ends on a cliffhanger. Since this book is so new, the sequel hasn’t been officially announced yet, so most likely it will be at least a year until it’s published.
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