May 15, 2019
A girl seeks the help of a dragon to save her heartmate. Bisexual Maren lives in Ilvera, a mountaintop village ruled by the tyrannous emperor of Zefed. His influence includes control of the Aurati seers, women who visit to share prophecies and take new initiates. When the Aurati abscond with Maren's heartmate, Kaia, Maren gathers her courage and travels to the fortress where dragons are trained for the emperor. Maren hopes her heritage--Verrans have a special connection with dragons--will enable her to steal a dragon and use it to free Kaia. Hiding her origins and intentions, Maren becomes an apprentice to the Aromatory, who uses scented oils to control dragons, and befriends Sev, a fortress guard hiding secrets of his own. Maren's world is at once familiar and inventive; politics and dragon lore are deeply rooted and heavily inform the narrative. The pacing is methodical and perhaps too linear--much of the time, Maren announces her intentions and then executes them, mostly to plan. One of the few plot twists is telegraphed from miles off. Still, Maren's wins are satisfying and the rip-roaring conclusion, empowering; her journey from viewing herself as second-best to someone with power and worth is particularly gratifying. Maren's mixed heritage gives her light-brown skin like most Zefedi, while Kaia has the darker skin of Verrans. Debut author Wells' beautiful prose and compelling protagonist will leave readers eager for the sequel. (Fantasy. 13-18)
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June 1, 2019
Gr 8 Up-Maren ben Gao, 17, spends her days quietly in the mountains with her girlfriend, Kaia. Her peaceful days are shattered once Kaia is kidnapped by the Aurati, who force her to join their ranks. The only way that Maren can save Kaia is to find a way into the empire, but first she must capture one of the Emperor's dragons. Maren becomes an apprentice to the dragon trainer, who reveals secrets surrounding the estate, making Maren feel as though she must continue to help. Her only goal is to free Kaia, but she ends up bonding with the dragon so deeply that her plan becomes upended. Wells has built a mesmerizing world that will draw readers in and has created characters with depth and charisma. Readers will not want Maren to abandon the dragon to complete her mission and will feel just as torn as she does. Those who can't resist the fire-breathing creatures will enjoy this first installment of a series, which ends on a cliff-hanger, with Maren ready to continue on into another book. VERDICT A great addition to high school library collections, particularly those looking for LGBTQ romance.-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI
Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 16, 2019
Maren has two great loves: her heartmate, Kaia, and the conquered mountain kingdom that both girls call home. So after representatives of the Empire of Zedef abduct Kaia, there’s nothing Maren won’t do to bring her back. The opening pace of this engaging fantasy debut is slow and steady as Maren concocts a scheme to steal one of the emperor’s fighting dragons and use it to storm the stronghold, where Kaia has been taken to be trained as a seer for the Empire. After Maren manages to get herself apprenticed to the head dragon trainer, though, the story whirls into a gripping adventure full of friendship, danger, and sudden reversals of fortune. Maren’s personal mission is caught up with a plot to bring down the Empire itself, and as she struggles stubbornly toward the girl she loves, she learns that the fate of all dragons may rest in her hands. Maren’s maturing ambitions and nuanced perspective deepen this thrilling fantasy adventure. Ages 14–up.