This story surprised me. I did not expect a story with this much sexual tension to pull me in. It’s honestly a really well told story with some spicy romance that teetered on being smutty, without crossing the line too much.

Violet is weak. Despite this fact, her mother (the General of the army essentially) enrolls her in the Riders Academy. The training is grueling and many of those who are conscripted won’t survive it. Violet has to overcome obstacles that healthy candidates don’t survive but she perseveres by sheer determination. No one believes in her and this only spurs her forward. She seems to persist out of spite and that’s something I heavily related to. If someone says I can’t do something, that makes me want to do it more. Because of this characteristic, I found myself fascinated with her when I should be frustrated. She makes the best decisions she can given her situation, but does end up in some sticky situations because of her actions. Her attraction to seemingly toxic men is another huge point of this story. Initially she has two different love interests; one being “the childhood friend” and the other being a “forbidden bad boy.” This triangle does start to wither as we get to know both characters more and I found myself despising one of them at the end. There are a few scenes that really made me question why she had feelings for one of them, but I understood as the term “love is blind” is actually true. I’ve been through it, and sometimes you need a fresh perspective to see the blemishes in the facade of a persona you crafted for your “perfect match.” Violet is a great character that is self confident and understands her limits. She cares for others and will put herself on the line to help them or just to spite others. I love her.

The plot of the book mostly revolves around training and Violet’s love life. Training is honestly crazy because of how dangerous it is. Candidates have to walk a dangerous, narrow bridge just to enter the academy. There’s also daily sparring lessons where they are allowed to cull one another without repercussions and a hellish obstacle course. At the end of the months of it, the candidates get to try and bond a dragon. Dragons get to choose who and if they want to bond a rider. Once bonded, the rider manifests powers based on their personality and can range anywhere from wielding ice to reading minds. They also gain a psychic link with their dragon that allows them to communicate from a distance. It’s really cool and getting to know the dragons’ personalities was entertaining as we spend a lot of time with the candidates for the majority of the story. In essence, it’s a big training arc of a book, but it does well to provide character depth for the main cast, though some of the side characters lacked enough exposition to make it feel like I got to know them enough. Despite this, I enjoyed watching Violet interact with them and her perspective was a great lens into the world.

There are some really good character moments for Violet and to see her grow throughout this book was amazing to see. Despite the naysayers, she continued to try and prove herself. She failed sometimes, but she kept getting back up. Her determination was inspiring and though some “main character” moments definitely happen, they felt earned. She’s been through a lot despite her mother being the commander. She lost her older brother in a war and her father shortly after. She’s always being compared to her successful sister and never seen as herself. When people take the time to get to know the real her, they’re surprised. Her heart is her greatest quality and I hope the series never loses that aspect.

I am definitely going to continue this one. While reading I was constantly yelling across my apartment. I was on Violet’s side from the very beginning and the events that unfolded in this first installment made me fully invested in the next volume. If you want a fantasy story with some spicy romance thrown in, this is the one for you.