Iron Flame (The Empyrean #2) by Rebecca Yarros

Summary: "“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson"

Just read Christine's review. The end. (potential spoilers for Fourth Wing)

623 pages

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Tairn rage is my favorite.
Andarna's rage is also my favorite.
Xaden. Heart eyes. That's attractive.


It's the MMC feeding the FMC for me.
ALEXA PLAY END GAME.
Tairn going to see Sgaeyl:
Help I'm crying.

everyone reacting to their pda is either:
or 
Violet:

How I imagine that scene happening

Me: 

Heart of a rider.
*me until they announce the next book or give us any update.

623 Pages

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

ARC. Release Date: October 3

THERE ARE DRAGONS. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
This is also on my 2023 Favorites
There's bits and pieces that remind me of Fourth Wing.
I hate you Suite Life

Is this attraction

480 pages

Wild Bond by Laurie Ford

Summary: "A thief who becomes a dragon rider…

After surviving two years in the castle dungeons for a crime she didn’t exactly commit, a stroke of luck allows Corrine Darrow a second chance at freedom. During the Bonding Celebrations—the one time each year when wild dragons find their riders—Rin is given the opportunity to petition her case. But her hopes are quickly dashed when she is brought before the queen’s ruthless spymaster—the very dragon rider who captured her in the first place.

When Rake’s intense gaze locks on her once more, Rin is sure he will send her back to her cell. But before her future can be decided, fate intercedes. Now, Rin must train to become a dragon rider, one of the fierce warriors who protect her world. That won’t be easy with Rin’s thieving reputation, the fellow trainees that mistrust her, and the fiery attraction she feels towards a man she should despise."

I just needed more dragons to help with the Fourth Wing hangover. The dragons in their mini-form are just too adorable!!!

427 pages

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Summary: "Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise."

THE DRAGONS! Like, the exact dragons I would want in a fantasy book. Chef's kiss. Violet/Violence - see Violence by Blink-182.

The book hangover is real. 

528 pages

goodreads | MOBIUS

Cherish by Tracy Wolff

Y'all my ship my ship my ship my shipppppppppp
Hudson continues to be the sweet treat that is too good for this world, and we don't deserve him and his singing.
The ribbon mobile for the baby.
Everyone finding out the deets.
Jaxon and his hair.
Flint: 

Alexandria my home.
My ship my ship my ship my ship
I kept expecting the dew to be a baja blast.

My babies. I love them. I can't protect them. I love them.
Me having the bonus content from special editions to give me life.
592 Pages

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

because I love my enemy boy 
cause dragons

A black dragon:

tying shoes:

ACCOMODATIONS ACCOMODATIONS

Y'all y'all y'all y'all y'all.

So yeah. This is going to be on my favorites of 2023.
Do I have words for this review. Yes I do....but gifs. 
It's the type of book I love to read with YA vibes that isn't YA, enemies tension, and height differences, and girls being underestimated and then being ba, magic powers, and dragons, and dragons and dragons and dragons.
Plus the end.
I'll just be on the floor waiting for my backordered copy, and then my preordered second book.....
512 Pages

Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

I love my nerdy dragon.
And baby dragon.
Also that dragon is referred to as "my dear"
365 Pages

Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

Nerdy dragon. I love him. Like... I just wanna cuddle him. Must protect
I still love that this is set in like...actual history, so like...historical backbone and stuff.
Also like... Chinese dragons and how their mythos is different than European dragons.
398 Pages

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

baby dragon baby dragon baby dragon....
talking baby dragon talking baby dragon.
Must protect dragons at all costs. I love them. 
Also we're including the different varieties of dragons, like Chinese and Japanese dragons which have different strengths than European dragons. Amazing.
The Book Toothless from HTTYD, and the Eragon vibes, except the dragon rider person is like....not a child and is in the Navy.
Also the fact that this is taking place during the Napoleonic wars.
374 Pages

The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim

 

Pages: 482

    "Princess Shiori made a deathbed promise to return a dragon's pearl to its rightful owner, but keeping that promise is more dangerous than she ever imagined. She must journey to the kingdom of dragons, navigate political intrigue among humans and dragons alike, fend off thieves who covet the pearl for themselves and will go to any lengths to get it, all while cultivating the appearance of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood.
    The pearl itself is no ordinary cargo; it thrums with malevolent power, jumping to Shiori's aid one minute, and betraying her the next—threatening to shatter her family and sever the thread of fate that binds her to her true love, Takkan. It will take every ounce of strength Shiori can muster to defend the life and the love she's fought so hard to win."

I was a little disappointed in this sequel. There was a lot of repetition from the first book and an attempt? at a love triangle that made no sense. I still really enjoyed the storytelling and setting, but I felt like the book could have been split into two different ones. We start with the underwater dragon palace, which was amazing, but leave it too soon for a demon plot.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Pages: 454 

    "Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control and catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

    Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

    Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama's betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her."

I really enjoyed this book. I originally picked it up for the pretty cover but stayed for the characters. The relationship between the main character and her brothers is so sweet and I absolutely love Kiki and her snarky comments. The storytelling was phenomenal as well, “Find the light that makes your lantern shine.”

The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim

Summary: "A journey to the kingdom of dragons, a star-crossed love, and a cursed pearl with the power to mend the world or break it."

(I like this cover better, so I'm sticking with it!)

Please give me all the stories with all the dragons.

I love this series so much.

I want a paper crane named Kiki.

482 pages

goodreads | MOBIUS

Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria

sfjkldsfjkldrgjkldfsjkdlasjklda
It's like How to Train Your Dragon, but not.
Can I have Nox please.
my ships.
432 Pages

TS: Character drives a Maserati (Red)

Katmere Academy: An Insider's Guide by Tracy Wolff

The bonus chapters....gahhhhhh
The content. The random information. The official art. getting to know more about the Order
Y'all. The novella. fjldkfkldfdklls. The content I always want (Hudson content); he so rightfully angsty. He be an angsty teen, even though he's been alive for a while, cause he's a vampire.
301 Pages

TS Swift: (I wanna make a joke about State of Grace...cause Grace); Dancing With Our Hands Tied, The Outside, Haunted, The Very First Night

Court by Tracy Wolff

I. love. this. series. Was I cackling and smirking through the majority of this....yes...I love it. The characters.
I just have so many memes and gifs (Avengers) that I could but I can't remember them because I read it over a weekend and didn't take notes.
I just desperately need the next book....
Hudson. I love him. We know this.
Anxiety rep. fantastic.
Anytime Cyrus says anything I just....am tempted to slap him
everyone is gonna need therapy, y'all. 
Everyone's talking about Harry Styles and his album, and I'm just WAITING for someone to please mention Taylor Swift, except the album was created because of quarantine, so does it exist in this world...I have no idea. 
720 Pages

TS Song: ....all of Reputation (I Did Something Bad, Don't Blame Me, and Look What You Made Me Do)... Plus a little bit of Mad Woman

Covet by Tracy Wolff

Cyrus to Hudson and Grace:

Hudson, I know you're a vampire, but crud you're thirsty. 
All my babies gonna need so much therapy. Cause trauma...trauma everywhere. 
The entire prison section is just.. love it. 

Hey look, is that commentary on how the prison system is kind of messed up and unfair and broken.
I love the characters. I love the humor. I love the references. It's like Twilight, but better.
600 Pages

Taylor Swift song: I Know Places...there's a scene in NY so I'm like...tempted to put Welcome to New York.