An engaging fantasy and romance that explores the importance of vulnerability and forgiving oneself.
Sirota’s romance-centered fantasy novel explores themes of intimacy, commitment, and coming to terms with the past.
Nineteen-year-old Estrid and her shadow-wolf familiar Rafe incapacitate a group of soldiers in an effort to protect a local village—Estrid accomplishes this with dark, powerful magic to fulfill an oath she’s taken to make up for the lives of innocents she’s claimed in the past (“a heavy debt she’s not sure will ever be repaid”). She encounters a person called Zain unconscious in the nearby wilderness and takes him in to nurse him back to health. During their time together, they discover that their combined magic has the power to resurrect the dead, which they demonstrate on a bird. They are attracted to one another, but Zain reveals he’s “Fae” and King of the Summer Court; when his companions Del and Alvey come for him, he must go with them to protect his realm from the evildoings of Rodden, the King of Nordia, who threatens his reign. Estrid helps strategize, having previously been under Rodden’s control and therefore familiar with his tactics. However, as they approach his stronghold, Estrid is captured. Zain solicits help from Del and other allies to rescue her from a dungeon. They seek help from the Shadow Court—whose King Cethin is revealed to have an intimate connection with one among the group. Sirota excels in creating dynamic characters like Estrid and Zain, with complex backstories drawn from the similarly elaborate worldbuilding. The author conveys a palpable attraction between them—their erotic scenes are treated with a deft hand and effectively convey the characters’ growing connection to each other, propelling the plot forward. However, the inception of their relationship feels a bit rushed, and some secondary characters could benefit from additional development. While Estrid’s magic is a central element, its limitations are murkily defined, which may prove frustrating for some readers. Nonetheless, this opening installment lays a strong foundation for a sequel. Fans of high fantasy and romance alike will enjoy Sirota’s tale, which successfully highlights aspects of both genres.
An engaging fantasy and romance that explores the importance of vulnerability and forgiving oneself.Pub Date: Dec. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9781763704701
Page Count: 364
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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SEEN & HEARD
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
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