This epic tale of dragons and magic is such a page turner I wound up reading straight through the night.
Dealing with topics of racial and cultural differences this story has taken a fairly unique approach to the typical star-crossed lovers tale. With a strong female main POV, Taylor uses uncompromising will to educate men on outdated views of relationships and a woman’s role in it. Don’t jump to conclusions in the first few chapters. Trust me she has a very prominent voice and message when it comes to this topic. And I absolutely love her for it!
I absolutely love the strong, unapologetic fierceness of the female characters and the change they bring to the world.
Building a unique and complex world where dragons can live among humans, (keeping it spoiler free) this narrative is relatively easy to follow with a unique approach to dialects and pronunciations. It brings an authentic voice to the story. Also this is not a typical magic system, bringing together the science and the legends to find a happy medium in the world.
Strong themes of friendship and trust had me anticipating quite a different storyline and I am happy to say I was not disappointed. Interesting plot twists and an awesome slow burn romance.
This was definitely one of my favourite reads of the year
SYNOPSIS
As a princess of the Yirba, Yenni is all-but-engaged to the prince of a neighboring tribe. She knows it’s her duty to ensure peace for her people, but as her father’s stubborn illness steadily worsens, she sets out on a sacred journey to the empire of Cresh, determined to find a way to save him at any cost, even though failure could mean the wrath of her gods and ruin for her people. One further complication? On the day she arrives at the Prevan Academy for Battle and Magical Arts, she meets an arrogant dragon-shifter named Weysh who claims she’s his “Given”, or destined mate. Muscular, beautiful (and completely infuriating), he’s exactly the kind of distraction Yenni can’t afford while her father’s life hangs in the balance.
But while Yenni would like nothing more than to toss Weysh the man into the nearest river, Weysh the dragon quickly becomes a much-needed friend in the confusing northern empire. Yet when her affection for the dragon starts to transfer to the man, Yenni must decide what is more important: her duty to her tribe, or the call of her own heart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nandi grew up devouring sci-fi and fantasy novels, and from a young age wrote books of her own. Her books are an expression of what she always wanted more of growing up—diverse protagonists in speculative settings. Common themes she writes about are growth, courage, and finding one’s place in the world.
Reading Caffeinated 