Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review,  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Raised among the ruins of a conquered mountain nation, Maren dreams only of sharing a quiet life with her girlfriend Kaia—until the day Kaia is abducted by the Aurati, prophetic agents of the emperor, and forced to join their ranks. Desperate to save her, Maren hatches a plan to steal one of the emperor’s coveted dragons and storm the Aurati stronghold.

If Maren is to have any hope of succeeding, she must become an apprentice to the Aromatory—the emperor’s mysterious dragon trainer. But Maren is unprepared for the dangerous secrets she uncovers: rumors of a lost prince, a brewing rebellion, and a prophecy that threatens to shatter the empire itself. Not to mention the strange dreams she’s been having about a beast deep underground…

With time running out, can Maren survive long enough to rescue Kaia from impending death? Or could it be that Maren is destined for something greater than she could have ever imagined?  

Review:
I admit it.  I requested this book based more on the cover art than the description.  But, with very creative world-building, fun characters, and an action-packed story, this book exceeded my expectations.  This was a really fun read.

World-Building:
This book had some complex and exciting world-building!  There were several kingdoms, each with its own complicated customs, clothing, food, and histories.  And then there were the DRAGONS!!!
            
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Oh, I love stories with dragons!  There is so much to love about how the author presents these mythical creatures.  How they hatch, are trained, and then are treated, make for compelling reading.  I also loved that Maren connects and dreams with a dragon!  She starts to have so much compassion for these creatures, she starts to question their treatment.  I loved this self-reflection.

Characters:
Maren has a compelling journey.  She begins the story as a person with extremely low self-esteem.  She is always in the shadow of her girlfriend, Kaia.  While everyone raves about how wonderful Kaia is, Maren is overlooked.  After Kaia is taken away, it is up to Maren to rescue Kaia.  I loved how Maren often had to talk herself into doing brave things by saying to herself, "What would Kaia do?".  Being brave is about doing something you are afraid of despite your fear, and she showed that resilience. 

Kaia has a journey that seems opposite of Maren's.  While we only get glimpses of this, it Kaia appears to lose her confidence the longer she is held by the Aurati.  This is understandable.  Even the bravest person will have trouble with fighting back if they are being tortured and humiliated by their captors.  

This shift in their relationship is something I wish the author did more with.  I hope this will be explored much more in the sequel.

Story:
This is a coming of age road trip story.  It just happens to be set in a fantasy world filled with dragons.  I loved how the more Maren sees of the world, the more confidence she gets.  She also has the opportunity to reassess her beliefs as she sees more parts of the kingdom.

I also loved that dragons were so central to the story.  As the book progresses, we get to see how the dragons are raised, and how they bond with humans. 
 


Romance:
The very start of the book has us investing in Maren and Kaia's great love story.  But, as the novel progresses, Maren starts to have feelings for a guy.  The book gave no indication that Maren was interested in boys until that point.  So I found this confusing.  Also, I would have just loved it if the guy was interested, and Maren just blew him off and said, "Nope"!

                 
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There didn't need to be a love triangle in this story.  It would have been refreshing to have a story where the guy doesn't automatically assume the girl will be into him.

Ending:
Yes, I know there will be a sequel.  But I hate it when a story ends literally in the middle of a scene!  Only a portion of the story was resolved.  There could have been much more done to show where Maren's relationships with others stood.  This left me feeling very unsatisfied.

Rating: 




Release Date:  July 30th, 2019

Author: Rebecca Kim Wells

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Page Length: 304 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:
If you have ever daydreamed of having your own dragon, then this book is for you!  This was a really fun book.  I just hope the sequel comes out quickly, as there were lots of unresolved plot points.