Novice Dragoneer feels like a book I’ve read before, in one incarnation or another. And if you’ve read a lot of coming-of-age fantasy, books feature magic or warrior schools, or stories about dragon riders, then there’s a good chance this is going to feel very familiar to you too. But that’s certainly not a criticism. I for one love a good adventure that has a bit of everything, and even with its more derivative elements, I found this novel delightfully entertaining.

I have elected not to read and review this book due to time constraints. Thank you for the opportunity.

I found it very slow-paced and not the good kind. For a book this size, I wouldn't mind spending time reading about the world building and/or the development of the characters if it was written in a way that I find enjoyable. I didn't care for most of the characters and to be honest, I can't even remember most of them even when I was reading the book. I did enjoy the times Ileth spent interacting with the dragons but overall, it was a frustrating read.

Novice Dragoneer by E.E. Knight: Unique Characters
In the first book in an exciting new coming-of-age fantasy series from the author of the Age of Fire series, an impoverished girl enters into a military order of dragonriders, but her path won't be as easy or as straightforward as she expected.

Fourteen-year-old Ileth grew up in an orphanage, and thanks to her stutter was never thought to be destined for much beyond kitchen work and cleaning. But she's dreamed of serving with the dragons ever since a childhood meeting with a glittering silver dragon and its female dragoneer. For years she waits, and as soon as she is old enough to join, Ileth runs away to become a novice dragoneer at the ancient human-dragon fortress of the Serpentine.

While most of her fellow apprentices are from rich and influential families, Ileth must fight for her place in the world, even if it includes a duel with her boss at the fish-gutting table. She's then sent off to the dragon-dancers after a foolish kiss with a famously named boy and given charge of a sickly old dragon with a mysterious past. But she finds those trials were nothing when she has to take the place of a dead dragoneer and care for his imprisoned dragon in enemy lands. . .

I’ve never read E.E. Knight before, mostly because I have some set authors I read for fantasy but when I read the description, I instantly was excited. And I am so grateful, I took the chance on this novel.
The novel is incredibly engaging, drawing you in quickly and is so compelling, you find yourself reading more and more, trying to gulp the story down as fast as you can. Part of what makes the story so interesting, though, are the characters, in particular, the primary protagonist, Ileth.
Ileth is a refreshing change of pace. She is far from perfect, coming from poverty and with challenges others don’t face but each time she faces her challenges with determination, loyalty, and dedication. She never quits and while her adventures don’t appear to be extraordinarily exciting, they build to a culmination that is unique to Ileth. She is brave in spite of her fears and strong in ways we rarely see in a novel.
The other characters are also engaging, interesting in their own ways and some of them make unexpected decisions. The story also delves into the conflicts of the world but never paints them as black and white. The people as a whole are depicted as real people, with fears, hatreds, kindnesses, and strengths. They are beautiful because they are less than perfect.
If you love stories that pull you in deep and don’t let you go, characters that are refreshing and different, a world that is diverse and realistic, than I recommend this series. The first book is stunningly beautiful and I can’t wait for the next.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Such an interesting world building! I can't resist dragon stories, and once again I was happy to see them here! Ok, at the beginning I wished for more, but then I was swept away by the MC and her adventures. She was quite a unique character too, and if the plot was a bit predictable, I still enjoyed it a lot!

I could kick myself for this mistake. I read this book last year and LOVED it. Gave it 4 stars and then forgot to write a review. That is like the biggest blogger sin I can think of, mea culpa. Well I got the ARC for the second book in the series, which comes out next week, and I thought I’d re-read this book first so I can remember what went on. On re-read I am bumping this up to 5 stars. It really is an excellent example of epic fantasy. Here is the blurb:

This is a coming-of-age book with dragons. Beautiful, intelligent, talking, dragons with varied personalities. If you are a dragon fan then this is definitely the book for you.

It’s also a magic-school/academy type book. Except better thank usual. I guess all of those type books end up at some point getting compared to Harry Potter. This book is more mature, with the kind of world building and depth that “she who must not be named” could only dream of. Mr Knight, is extremely good at creating a world with a complex history and multiple cultures. He also is good at foreshadowing, leaving little hints and tidbits of information that will undoubtedly be of great import in later books. I absolutely revel in that kind of intricacy of plot. It’s so satisfying when you pick up on a hint and then get to see it come to fruition in a meaningful way.

The characters are really good, in particular the main character, Ileth. She is sweet, naive, bold, shy, fearful and fearless. In other words, a real girl. This world is not fair to people who don’t come from privilege. It is also a fiercely misogynistic place. But Ileth, still keeps on keeping on, and thriving despite it. I really enjoy reading about her. She’s never boring.

All that to say, this is a really excellent book and I’m sorry I didn’t start gushing about it before now. I am hurrying through the last quarter of this book so I can start the second. I can’t state any more clearly how good this book is. I hope you enjoy it too.

Song for this book: My Dream by Yoonmirae

Took me forever and a day to read (hurray dense books!) but I really enjoyed it and now I need book 2 sometime yesterday.

A seven-year-old orphan girl goes to the local well to get water. There she meets a dragon and its rider and finds the dream for her future - to become a dragoneer.

Seven years later Ileth, having run away from the orphan lodge she lived in, rushes through the dark toward the Serpentine to become a novice dragoneer but she is too late, the gates closed at sundown. Determined to gain entry or die, she sits by the door for days until she is allowed in. Thus begins Ileth’s transition from poor stuttering orphan to, hopefully, a dragoneer.

She finds allies and makes both friends and enemies as even within the walls of the Serpentine wealth and name matter and Ileth has neither. She fights a duel with her boss from the fish-gutting table, is caught being kissed by an apprentice from a wealthy family and has her name written in the Blue Book - strike one and with strike two, one is expelled from the Serpentine. She is transferred to the dragon dancer troop - dragons enjoy the aroma of the sweat of dancing women - is given charge of a sickly, ancient dragon. While there she uncovers a dragon scale smuggling operation, and finally is sent to enemy territory in a prisoner exchange to care for an ailing imprisoned dragon whose dragoneer has died.

There is love, betrayal, hope and tragedy as Ileth works towards her ultimate goal. We get hints that Ileth’s past may be more than just a poor stuttering orphan but nothing is really revealed in this book.

Ileth is a well-rounded character who will appeal to readers both young and older. The other characters are interesting, including the dragons who speak and serve the humans on their own terms. I look forward to the next chapter in Ileth’s life.

Highly recommended

The writing is distant. I didn’t feel connected to the story or the characters. The story itself felt recycled and unoriginal. I won’t be purchasing this book for the library.

This book was amazing! Its like a mix between Anne McCaffery's Dragons and Tamora Pierce's Protector of the small series. I really really adored it.

The plot does start off a little slow and there are many descriptions. I was enthralled of Ileth's journey and her determination to be a dragoneer. I laughed, I cried. I cheered with her triumphs and was blindsided with the betrayals. I want to spend time with her dragons. I cannot wait for her next adventure.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the writing, the world, the characters. I just love a good fantasy with dragons and this did not disappoint. The pacing was a little slow, but definitely picked up. It was engaging for the most part and I really wanted to find out how it would end.

Do you need talking dragons? Dragon riders? DRAGONS?!

This is a book on dragons, with dragons, and has dragon riders. Despite there not being enough dragons in the first third of the book, the story moved quite quickly into the realm of dragons. Ileth, despite not having much development at first, does develop alongside the other dragons. The Lodger turned out to be one of my favorites and I wish there had been more time for his and Ileth’s relationship. If you’re looking for dragons, look no further than Novice Dragoneer.

Holy mother of dragons. What a freaking ride.

Alright folks, if you - like me - belong to the group of I-will-read-anything-with-dragons readers, then you are in for a treat. Because Novice Dragoneer is *your* book. Many of my followers know that I am a dragon lover!! If it has a dragon I will pretty much move heaven and earth to read the book... and its hard to hate a book with a dragon in it.

This book has everything to keep you glued to it. A complex fantasy world and political system, layered characters that are a treat to delve into and all the dragon action. Trust me, this was a fun fantasy and it deserves your time and attention. It was an engaging read from the beginning. I appreciated the elements which really helped give the characters depth, and showed their growth. And we see them continue to grow and realize their strengths and also admit their weaknesses.

overall it's a strong story built around excellent backstories, and of course I just need to state again dragons!! Plus we've got an excellent bit of old literature that's woven throughout. This is also a story strongly wrapped up in politics, propaganda, censorship, and family. It's a many-faceted power struggle.

TW: Misogyny, Suicidal Thoughts, Slut Shaming, Stutter not accurately portrayed*

*I feel that the stutter was handled well and portrayed accurately, but I do know that some people do not think that it accurately represents an individual with a stutter.

I am so excited to be finally done with this book. It took me 15 days to finally finish this book, and I will admit that at times, I thought of DNFing it merely because it tended to drag on at moments. Though the book dragged at times, I did enjoy it. I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley, but when I realized that I had no time to read it, I bought the audiobook of it, and I'm glad that I did.

The narrator did an excellent job of making the characters come to life and did a fantastic job at Ileth's stutter. One of the incredible individuals I talk to on twitter did state that they thought the stutter was not an accurate portrayal, which is why I included this in the TW section of this post. I will say that I thought it was correct. One of my close friends has a stutter, and from my experience with him, I felt that it was portrayed well and accurately. The reaction to the stutter was also accurate, which made me want to throw the book at multiple times.

The shining star of the book was the narrator. Nicole Poole truly made this book enjoyable. The plot was fascinating though I have to admit if I might have DNF'd the book if I was solely reading it. At times, this book dragged. Heck, this book took me 15 days to finish, which is unheard of for me. I think what caused me to take so long in reading it is the fact that there was little to no plot. The book's sole purpose was to show the life Ileth lived. It was fascinating to read about her from the age of 14 to 16, but I would have liked a plot instead of following her on her journey.

Though It dragged, I still am giving it a solid 4 Caffeinated Star reading. Watching Ileth grow and move up in the world was a fascinating time. This would be an excellent novel for people who enjoy a good biography. This book felt like I was reading a biography that happened to have dragons in it. All in all, if you're looking for a fast-paced book with dragons, I would skip this book. If you want a book that reads like a biography with dragons sparkled in, the Novice Dragoneer would be a great addition to your library.

Ileth's story is one of perseverance and pluck. A youngster with no social standing seeks to work with dragons by entering the prestigious academy, and must prove herself over and over again through many scenarios. The dragons are reminiscent of McCaffery's in some ways, yet also their own. The story moves along well, and pulls you in as you cheer Ileth along on her journey. Intrigue, adventure, danger, humor, love, all of the components needed in an epic adventure are contained in this book. I can't wait to see where Ileth's journey takes her next.

It’s safe to say that I’m obsessed with Novice Dragoneer. The dragons talk, the world has an intensely developed history, and the central character is the kind of badass hero I wanted to root for. Check out my four favorite things about this wonderfully done novel!

First and foremost: TALKING DRAGONS!
I realize there are probably hundreds of books out there featuring dragons who talk to humans. For some reason, I haven’t read much dragon fiction and man, do I love it! This is a world that reveres dragons and those who train to ride them. There’s a whole dragon culture underlying the history of mankind and it’s just fascinating to read through the eyes of a young protagonist who doesn’t know much of the world. We see the awe and excitement of joining this elite group of dragoneers. We see how wise and insightful dragons can be with each conversation and interaction. It’s an exciting ride, to say the least.

Second (and I was obsessed with this guy): the ancient, worldly wise dragon, known as the Lodger.
As I’ve said, I’m all about the dragons in Novice Dragoneer. They’re deeply developed characters with their own society and belief system that’s ingrained through centuries. The Lodger is introduced fairly early in the book and he’s a delight. Picture the most ancient being you can imagine and add a thousand years. Ileth forms a special bond with him, leaving her with a rare introduction to the dragon world. It’s like becoming best friends with Yoda and just casually getting to hear the history of the entire world. Yes, she’s cleaning wounds and feeding him enormous livers, but he’s just too worldly wise not to love.

Third: Ileth, a protagonist whose journey of growth inspires from start to finish.
Ileth makes the perfect focal point for our introduction to this fascinating world. She’s an orphan from meager beginnings who risks her life to get to the Serpentine and train as a dragoneer. From the start, things seem impossible for her, but she overcomes every hurdle. People try to bring her down but she says ‘nope, out of my way fools’ and gets the job done. I quickly became fully invested in her character and was excited to see her epic story progress.

And finally: the Serpentine itself.
Fantasy novels featuring schools and academies are plentiful, filled with teenage angst and drama. They can be quite predictable, though still a good time to be had. Novice Dragoneer goes beyond the formula, presenting a tough-as-nails fortress that treats rich and poor the same. Amenities at the Serpentine are few and far between, and a novice learns through hard, back-breaking work that weeds out those unwilling to toil for a future atop a dragon. Ileth meets more than her fair share of hardships and dirty jobs, all of which she takes head on with determination and grit. You can just feel the thousands of years of history with each action taken inside these ancient walls.

E. E. Knight returns with Novice Dragoneer, which promises to be the beginning of a rich fantasy series. We first meet Ileth on the doorstop of the Serpentine Academy, where people train to become the companions of dragons. She’s arrived just moments after the gate was barred, but before the end of the day when anyone can apply to the academy. Due to a childhood interaction with a dragoneer, Ileth has been working toward admission to the Serpentine for years, going so far as to run away from her precarious situation in the north. She has nowhere to return to; she has bet everything on admission. And they still don’t let her in. She waits for long days on that doorstop, watching with anticipation as those better connected and more noble than she pass through the gate. At long last, and due to her indefatigable mettle, she’s admitted into the Serpentine Academy.

The focus of the novel is tight on Ileth and her concerns, so we only begin to understand the larger politics at play though glancing and offhand interactions. She’s given the unenviable job of fishmonger at first, under the thumb of a failed novice who has built something of a fiefdom out of cruel treatment. He’s largely the regular kind of self-important jerk, but he’s also glad to heap misogynist punishment on any woman who has the bad fortune to fall under his aegis. Due to a sequence of bad events, Ileth and this fishmonger manager end up in a duel. She wins not due to native or acquired skill, but because he’s bad faith personified, breaking rules that he feels justified breaking because he’s never been taken to task heretofore.

He’s run off in a manner that promises his return eventually, and Ileth is shuffled off to a group of dancer novices. This section of the novel was itchy to me just on principles, even while I enjoyed the intimate nature of Ileth’s relationships during this period. Ileth moves from the girls’ dorm, which is ruled over by an Aunt Lydia sort of person, to a group who dances both for the dragons and for politically important people in the Vale Republic. It’s the kind of group who is, impossibly, both treated like a bunch of whores, and feted everywhere they go. I think the idea of sweaty, dancing women acting as a kind of soporific for dragons is ultimately weird, positioning dragons as a sort of male gaze, even while there is much exclamation to the fact that that’s not the case. This isn’t lingered on too much, which is good, because I could rapidly become both bored and angry with this idea.

But despite this shaky world-building, Ileth’s time in the dancer corps is the most intimately rendered part of the novel. Up until Ileth’s placement with the dancers, dragons were largely theoretical. They are always pulling on the fortunes of those in the academy, even as they remain largely off-screen; here we meet one face to face. They are like gravitational bodies mostly inferred through affect. But when Ileth is assigned a duty way down in the bottom of the keep to dance for an ailing dragon, that’s when the real magic of the novel starts.

Her relationship with the ailing dragon is like her relationship with the Serpentine in miniature. Her great strength is in watchful waiting, which she then turns into resourceful action. She spends much time simply observing the somnolent dragon, then carefully, carefully, begins to work on his behalf. She equally carefully observes the indifferent guards who round out the slim cadre of people on that level, and, like in her work as a fishmonger, divines a corrupt purpose to those who are supposed to care for the ailing dragon. Her conversations with the dragon are some of the more heartfelt of any in Novice Dragoneer, the sly imparting of wisdom from one just about run down but nonetheless full of history, to an ambitious, dedicated, but ultimately naive child on her way to matriculation.

Novice Dragoneer doesn’t so much end as middle. It decidedly has the feel of a novel that is to be a first in a series, laying out the world in a deft but sometimes withholding hand. The tight focus on Ileth’s concerns both gives and takes away, though ultimately I think it’s a good choice. The concept of world-building is one of those contested things, but I find myself much more drawn to fictions that hew to a character’s specific point of view over some scatterdash high level “As you know, Bob” way of building a universe. So not everything worked for me in Novice Dragoneer, but its main character did, completely and emphatically. She was a still and moving point in a complicated world, embodying the paradox of a young person on the edge of matriculation.

I received my copy from Netgalley.com

This is a book I am very sad to report that I will be DNFing. I will rate it 3 stars for now as it is by my favorite author but the description is ridiculous. I also do not feel for the main character and do not think that her stuttering an accurate representation of those who stutter. I made it 30% of the way through and nothing has happened. I feel this was the author's first time coming up with a humanoid character.

This book was so fantastic to read! I don't read much traditional fantasy, I'm more YA, it was pretty awesome to read this book! It's not dense in the writing, but there's 500 pages and 19 chapters. There isn't a huge cast of characters, but there were some that I had a hard time remembering where they'd been previously introduced, of what their name was. But so enjoyable to read!

This world is pretty interesting! This world of dragons and their dragoneers was fascinating, and there were hints of the history of the world, mentions of a fallen country/empire, that seemed to have a lasting impression of the current cultures. There's some politics, because of the whole "imprisoned dragon" thing, and they aren't easy waters to navigate.

I really enjoyed Ileth's journey being a novice. It isn't easy, and she faces a few additional struggles because she grew up in an orphanage. But there's some kind of secret there, because I have a suspicion about her dad...

The journey that Ileth goes on, from starting at the Academy, she has a ton of road blocks in the way. And with a pretty awful purity culture, that a kiss that she didn't initiate could've gotten her kicked out, yeah, sometimes I broiled at some of the unfairness. She had a way of getting into situations, and then finding bizarre ways out getting out of them! So great to read!

I really enjoyed this book, and I can't wait to see where this series goes!

I've always loved EE Knight's books. I really enjoyed Novice Dragoneer. It reminded me of Anne McCaffrey. I can't wait to read the rest in the series. I will recommend this book to our scifi book club and I plan on selling it in the store.