holy CRAP!!! this book was incredible. i can't even begin to tell you how much. i bought this series over a year ago because i love anything to do with dragons and i have no idea why it took me so long to get to it because this is genuinely one of the best dragon-centric books i've ever read.

the worldbuilding is awe inspiring. everything from the revolution that took place before the start of the story to the way the world was before it and after it are all distinct and original, though i do get the feeling the author read a song of ice and fire before writing this. i'm still wishing we got more information about palace day, even if it's gruesome.

the characters are loveable and interesting and i want to know more about them; their pasts, their families. i'm constantly rooting for both lee and annie, no matter what's going on because of the level of empathy the narrative has for each of their plights with lee being dragonborn and annie being a former serf.

the linework itself is engaging and had me hooked from the first line!! i'm not particularly fond of first person storytelling, but this one was so good that i not only didn't mind, but finished this book much faster than i finish most books as a result and this book really reminded me for the first time since the longest reading slump of my life why i love reading so much in the first place.

the reveal near the end had me gasping and covering my mouth with my eyes wide and i LOVE it when that happens!! i thought it was pretty clear from about halfway through that things weren't as they seemed with Those characters, but the level of it in the end was something i never anticipated.

this book was amazing, showstopping, perfect, incredible, devastating. i can't even think of anything i had a gripe with in regards to it other than plotlines that stressed me out just because of the nature of what they were. and i am beyond excited to start book two!! i definitely recommend this if you like fourth wing; this book is even better than that one!!

oh this book was so fun!! i was so hooked from the very first line!!

the mystery of this book is what hit the hardest. i had suspicions about what was going to happen from the beginning of the story, and most of them were confirmed, but even so there were enough hints that i might be wrong, that it kept me reading up wayyy into the night more than once.

the characters in the story were all fascinating. of the things i predicted, i did not see That happening with That One Character. neither did i predict the end happening the way that it did either. it left me craving more!!

of everything in this book, the foreshadowing and suspense were done the best. i was thinking about this book long after i finished reading for the day and i was always excited to read more and find out what was going to happen next.

the linework Did leave a bit to be desired; there were some bits with missing words and repeated sentences/words, but this also is an arc copy, so i doubt it'll stay that way so take this with a massive grain of salt. also, i think it's a testament to the author's writing ability that despite that, i deeply enjoyed this book.

i loved soraya; she was such a strong character that also had a hint of fragility to her, which is always my favorite kind of lead female character. i loved jameson also!! he was so fascinating and i could tell what was going on with him from the beginning, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book at all. same with everything that happens with ardeen and matilda and soraya's mother.

all in all, this book was amazing. i loved every single second of it and i can't wait for book two!!