Hands down one of the best YA Fantasies I have ever read!

House of Dragons takes us into the Etrusia empire, where the emperor has perished and now a new emperor/empress must rise to take the throne. Five compete in The Trial, a series of tests to prove their worth of the throne. The rest? The rest fall to The Cut - to death.

I can not say enough good things about this book. It was The Breakfast Club meets Hunger Games weaved with the Chronicles of Narnia with dragons in flight. It was all you can love in a fantasy.

I loved every character for their purpose in the story. It was such a great mix of cast that every chapter was intriguing as you got the perspective of all five competitors. You had your cursed child, the illegitimate child, the unworthy son, the common help, and the worthy warrior. Each character had a depth and storyline that had you sucked into each page. I couldn’t stop reading.

Immediately add this one to you must-read shelf!

I can not wait for the next book in this series!

Dragons, magic and found family is what I loved most about The House of Dragons!
It was a fresh fun new fantasy and it’s just what my heart desired!

Fans of Game of Thrones and dragons in general will love this book. The characters were all amazing in their own ways and I think everyone can relate to at least one.

I overall really enjoyed this one and would recommend it to others.

I always like to start with the problem areas so then we can end on a good note! And really, I only had one problem. The characters.

The characters were boring. It’s hard to explain because they didn’t have a lot of personality, while still having 5 very different people.

Hyperia: She is the “mean girl” with a past of abuse

Lucien: The good looking, goody-goody boy scout

Emilia: The smart girl who doesn’t know she’s pretty

Vespir: The shy, quiet, gay girl

Ajax: The class clown

I liked them, they were just a bit bland. They get better the last half of the book when they start to use what they are good at to shine during the trials.

WITH THAT BEING SAID: I ENJOYED THIS BOOK!

There were dragons galore! There was adventure, a mysterious plot, and plenty of action. THOSE are the things that make me love a book! I was entertained! Dog, Ajax’s dragons, was my favorite! He acts like a puppy! Cluess knows how to write dragons! And I loved it! Each dragon had it’s own personality that sort of matched their riders! It was so cool!

The trials to become emperor were sooooo much fun to read about! The Hunt, The Game, The Race, and The Truth. In The Hunt, they had to hunt a basilisk and that was my favorite! They were all on an island hunting it and it was so intense! LOTs of adventure going on. Each character tried to use their skills to win (or not to win in Lucien’s case), and it was interesting to see how they would use those skills. Emilia was probably my favorite to read about, just because she had the added element of dark magic she had to try to control and keep secret, while trying to compete.

Maybe 70% of the way through, the book changes gears. Meaning, there was a huge twist that I am here for! I won’t spoil it, but it’s so good! I definitely can’t wait for book 2!

All the pretty stars! Put them up there, this one deserves it! I could not find one thing wrong with this book. The characters are so different and meld perfectly together. I felt like I knew each one. They had strengths and weaknesses and both were played into the story. The dragons are exactly how I picture they should be. Close with their handlers, loyal, tough but kind unless treated badly. Oh I loved the dragons. This is how all dragon books should portray dragons! There is excitement from page one and it continues throughout. Politics play a part, but exciting politics involving the houses and the past and grudges and all sorts of good stuff. There is magic and adventure and small romance (yep that’s my jam) and intrigue all rolled up into one. The writing is enough to hook you from page one AND the story flows brilliantly throughout the pages. Go buy it. It’s out today and it’s phenomenal. I’m purchasing a hardback copy for myself because an ebook just won’t cut it.
Thank you immensely to #netgalley and Random House Books for Young Readers and Jessica Cluess for this outstanding book.

If a book promises dragons, you can bet that I’m in. And while dragons don’t guarantee that I’ll love a story, they definitely help. I adored Jessica Cluess’ first series, Kingdom on Fire, so I went into House of Dragons cautiously excited(I say cautiously only because I’m tired of books letting me down this year). I think that cautious hope was the right decision, because while I wasn’t blown away by this book, I had a lot of fun reading it and ended up really enjoying the story.

So first off, there are a lot of points-of-view in House of Dragons. Which means plenty of chances to fall in love with a character. And I really didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, they were fun to read and all had unique voices, which added to how quick I read this one because I never felt bored or like I was reading the same character over and over. But, and this might sound a little crazy because the book is well over 400 pages long, I think maybe it could have been longer? With so many characters, I felt like I never had time to really get to know them, to grow attached. They just seemed to be presented to me, here they are love them! But I didn’t, I just liked them. And the same could be said for the dragons. I didn’t find myself particularly invested in the dragons until the end of the book. I do think this is something that will be remedied in the second books, and I won’t say why to avoid spoilers, but in this book they just felt like pets and nothing more. Which would have been fine if I hadn’t been expecting this book to be more dragon-centric. It definitely is more characters centered, and as I said the dragons felt more like pets.

The world building here was really awesome. It felt unique, which I think is becoming more and more difficult to pull off in YA fantasy. And Cluess is just really great at creating lore for her stories. It added so much to the world, and grew with the story until the very ended, leaving me excited and wanting more in the sequel.

While House of Dragons may look like a brick of a book, it was a really fast read for me. It may not have been the best book I’ve read this year, but I really couldn’t put it down. The multiple points-of-view and really intriguing story held my attention through to the end and I finished it much faster than I expected to.

Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this one and I’m looking forward to whatever is in store with the sequel. I hope that the characters will be a little more fleshed out than they were in House of Dragons, and I’m certain the story is going to continue to surprise. The ending was excellent, giving just enough but still leaving me with questions. If you liked Cluess’ first series or Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, then House of Dragons is the perfect book to pick up right now.

I really enjoyed this book. You can pretty much get my immediate interest with dragons and this book did not dissapoint . I loved the various dragons and their riders and how in-depth the story was. I could not put it down and am excited to read more of the world.

This book was one of my most anticipated 2020 releases! I was DYING to get my hands on it, and was ready to start begging (okay, I kind of begged in buy/sell/trade groups, trying to get someone to trade with me lol), and I finally got lucky enough that the publisher responded to my ARC request with a Netgalley widget! Yay!

Did it live up to the hype? Yes and no. Honestly, I was a little disappointed in it overall. I think maybe my expectations were just too high. However, did it deliver the dragon action? YES IT DID! Finally, a book “about dragons” WITH ACTUAL DRAGON ACTION! And not just in passing! That was by far the selling point of this book, and my absolute favorite part. I adored the dragons themselves (especially Dog, be still my heart!) and the different types of dragons bonding to different Houses. Absolutely fabulous! [spoilers removed]

In the beginning, I wasn’t enjoying it very much. I wasn’t a huge fan of Jessica’s writing style, sadly. I was a little bored at times, and I didn’t care about any of the characters. The only ones with actual personality were Hyperia, the murderous bitch, and Ajax, who reminded me a little of a very childish and petulant version of Sevro from Red Rising. Emilia, Vespir, and Lucien were all pretty bland in the first half, and I didn’t care about any of them. I also didn’t care who won or lost, or really what happened to them. I am happy to say that my feelings did grow as the book went on!

This book really shines in the last 25%. The action ramps up, the stakes get higher, and we get a little shock of deceit (that I thought was awesome!). Somewhere along the line, the characters grew on me. I started realizing that Emilia was kind of a badass, Vespir wasn’t the mouse I thought she was, and Lucien had more to him than just righteous valor (which was frankly a bit annoying in the beginning, sorry). Hyperia even started to grow on me. I think I probably liked Ajax all along, even though he’s a pain in the ass. He had the most personality! He does get a little annoying at times, because he’s just so…obnoxious? Incorrigible? He’s kind of a prick sometimes, but he had a good heart. I adored his relationship with his dragon, Dog! Dog is a lot like Ajax – over the top, obnoxious – but totally lovable and goofy. (Like a dog!) [spoilers removed]

I don’t know how I felt about the ending. It felt a little rushed, and there were some things that didn’t sit quite right with me. [spoilers removed]

Also, side note: I couldn’t help but notice that this book represents all four Hogwarts Houses in its characters, so I’ve taken the liberty of sorting them (you’re welcome lol):
-Emilia: Ravenclaw
-Hyperia: Slytherin
-Vespir: Hufflepuff
-Lucien: Gryffindor/Hufflepuff even split
-Ajax: Gryffindor with a healthy dose of Slytherin

Overall, for me this book was good but not great. I was underwhelmed compared to how much I’d hyped it up in my head, but I am pleased at the important and integral role that the dragons played in the book! So many books promise dragons and I end up overwhelmed because the dragon action is minimal. I’m thankful that this wasn’t one of them! I do think that lots of people are going to love this book, and I will definitely be picking up the sequel to see what happens next!

Full review with spoilers originally posted on Novel Heartbeat!

After the Emperor dies, five young men and women are selected from each of the royal houses to compete to be the next Emperor or Empress. However, the five that are chosen are unexpected choices and unprepared for the battle for the throne.

Any book that boasts five separate POVs is going to be either hit or miss. In House of Dragons it works; each character has its own distinct voice and it was easy to tell them apart without feeling lost or confused. And speaking of the characters, I really loved the diverse cast of characters created and their various backgrounds and personal struggles.

Another thing I really liked about House of Dragons was that it didn’t shy away from the violence. There’s gripping action, bloody scenes, and moments of pure brutality. It was much more vicious than I had been expecting for a YA fantasy book. I also enjoyed the dynamics that formed between the different characters, and how they eventually created a sort of found family.

Sometimes the book had trouble holding my attention and I found myself skimming sections. The pacing wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked it to be so I think that’s where the issue came in. There were also a few parts that came across as very juvenile–which is totally fine for YA!–but compared to the maturity of the content of the rest of the book it just felt out of place.

House of Dragons was a gripping, entertaining fantasy story perfect for fans of A Game of Thrones who are looking for a YA book with similar aspects. I think a lot of people are going to end up sleeping on this, but I’m here to encourage you to give it a try, especially if you enjoy dragons, messy families, and a quest to win the throne!

Whoa! I'm still not over this book even after finishing it! Such a great plot and the cast of characters are so unique! I loved the world building and can't wait until this book is published!

FINALLY! A book with the word dragon in the title that has DRAGONS.

Huge thank you to Penguin/Random House for supplying me with this arc after a little bit of begging ;D

What a wild ride I was just on, you guys. This book starts with a BANG. We jump into the five povs. Yes, I said it. FIVE POV's. But as daunting as that sounds, it wasn't too bad once you get to know the characters. But I digress. This wild ride starts when the emperor dies and the eldest of each of the five houses in Etrusia line up for the Call to compete for the throne. But things don't go as planned and the least assuming (bastards, youngest, etc) are chosen. The winner gets the crown. Losers get the Cut. I.E executed. These outcasts, each with their own issues, battle for the throne all while uncovering some secrets and flying DRAGONS!!

I cannot stress this enough and I will scream it from the rooftops. I LOVE DRAGONS. This book didn't disappoint in that aspect. Nor the intrigue and violence that I love in competition books like this. I connected to each of the protagonists to the point where I thought I was watching a reality show and kept switching to who I wanted to win.

This is a Romanesque fantasy world and there's some violence that had me staring open-mouthed at my Kindle. There are also some pretty strong themes throughout that are kind of brutal for younger audiences.

To close off this review I will say that this book sets itself apart and I loved every bit of it. I am so glad my begging paid off. This book is one for the shelves.

First of all, thank you so much to Random House ofr an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely adored JEssica Cluess' Kingdom of Fire series, and when I read the ysnopsis for House of Dragons, I knew I needed to read it!

The emperor is dead, which means it's time for a calling from the Great Dragon. An heir from the five families is called to the Emperor Trial, and only one will be victorious. Usually, it's the first-borns who are called, those who have trained their whole lives in preparation for the trial. But not this time. No, 4 of the younger heirs are called, one bastard, and a dragon handler.

Emilia of Aurun has chaos magic, and is a book smart, frail girl. Lucian of the Sabel is the youngest of twins, who'd given up his sword to become a monk. Vespir is a dragon handler for the Pentri familiy who's only heir, Antonia, is in love with. Ajax of the Tiber is the twenty-first bastard, who is a sneaky, short man with nimble fingers and eyes set on gold. And Hyperia of Volscia killed her younger sister, Julia, in order to take her rightful place in the trials.

Together, these five must complete The Hunt, The Game, The Race, and the The Truth in order to take their place as Emperor or Empress.

This book lived up to all of my wild expectations! I read it in two sittings. It was fun, fast, heartfelt, and funny. There is a touch of romance to keep your heart melting, with just enough magic and quirky characters to keep you smiling through the harder times. Everything about this book is just well-written, fantastic, fast-paced, and enticing!

Is you like Game of Thrones, The Last Namsara, The Breakfast Club, and basically anything that is awesome and quirky, I really cannot recommend this enough! This is the first in the duology. Though it could stand on its own if you took out the epilogue, I'm honestly stoked to get more of this world and the characters!

I was enthralled with this story right from the beginning. The characters grew a lot through the story and I truly loved the twists and turns that were thrown in. The one small thing I felt was that because the story is told from so many different perspectives, I didn't fully get a true feel for each character, the book would need to be longer to fully connect. The ending of this book will definitely have me coming back for the next installment

I enjoyed this book a lot. What I have to praise the most is how the characters are written. Not unlike many other books, there is a cast of characters with diverse backgrounds who find themselves being thrown into a "kill or be killed"competition together. What stood out to me is how complex and interesting each character was from the start. Some were more likeable than others. I love that. I don't care if some protagonists aren't likeable. I just love a good arc. Each of them went through a lot of growth - with room for more - by the end of the book. There is not one character in this book who failed to keep my interest all the way through. I'm very excited for the rest of the series.

I requested and received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and Random House Children's Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

This book was awesome from the very first chapter and I did not want to put it down! There are dragons, magic, and challenging competitions to test the members of the five royal houses chosen for the Trial. I cannot wait for book #2 to add to my collection of Jessica's books.

#HouseofDragons #NetGalley

find the comparison misleading. In the case of House of Dragons, the comparison to Game of Thrones is right on the money, along with some noticeable influence from stories such as How to Train Your Dragon and, to reference an older franchise, Dragonriders of Pern. Most of the Game of Thrones influence can be seen in shared elements such as dramatic deaths, a succession crisis, a vaguely European fantasy setting, and of course—dragons.

Once I picked up House of Dragons, I ended up reading it all in a single day. The fast pace and shock value set up at the beginning don’t let up throughout the novel. This book takes us through multiple POVs and I found all of them engaging with transitions that were easy to follow. Every character feels like they have a distinct voice and though I had my favourites, at no point was I wanting to skip through someone’s section to get to the next. The dragons are also characters in their own rights and I had Feelings (TM) about all of them at one point or the other.

There is one explicitly stated LGBT character on cast. Romance, while it doesn’t feature heavily in this installment, is present. This one is definitely for older readers as there are themes better suited for older audiences: graphic depictions of violence, descriptions of sexual assault, sexism, homophobia, and child abuse.

Overall, this was a dark, heart-pumping fantasy that kept me engrossed from beginning to end. This will be a go-to recommendation on my list for those looking for a YA fantasy rec who don’t mind graphic violence in particular along with discussion of some challenging themes.

Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Overall I enjoyed this book and definitely think it is worth reading.

In Etrusia a new emperor is selected by calling one person and dragon from each of the five royal houses to compete in a series of trials. Each selection is unexpected and sends someone new and unprepared into the trials. The participants are all very different and must play to their strengths to win the trials and be allowed to live!
I read a description for this book saying it would be like Three Dark Crowns meets the Breakfast Club with dragons and I must say several parts of that appealed to me. The story was interesting and different enough to keep me reading! I definitely had Breakfast Club vibes, which is always good.
One of the strongest points of this book for me was the thought put in towards each character. They all had such distinct personalities, with clear motivations and reasonings for the way they were. They each had moments to shine and moments of weakness and were given equal care in the storytelling.
And of course the dragons were exciting as suggested! The prospect of dragons was fully explored, with different 'breeds' that all had different traits and personalities as most animals do. Some of the dragons were better done than others and were made to play bigger roles. I would have liked to see more for the other dragons that received less attention but hopefully we'll see more of that in the sequel.
Speaking of sequels, I think this book would have been great as a stand alone, but am interested to see where the story goes next!

Solid 4/5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I had high hope since I was interested by the summary alone, but I also DNFd the author's previous book A Shadow Bright And Burning. I could make it through a quarter of that one as I was uninterested, so those feelings came with me when I opened up my app to read this. While I didn't fall in love with this book, it definitely caught my attention at the beginning and grew on me the more I read. I loved the different POVs, and I actually ended up liking all the characters! Some characters I didn't even expect to particularly care for and they ended up being some of my favorites.

The dragons and magic system in the book are good, but I wasn't completely sold on the whole concept. Some of it felt off and choppy to me, and I found myself wanting to brush over scenes at times becomes I just wasn't interested. It's more of a me thing though since I'm not a fan of dragons to begin with, so the fact that I even enjoyed it is a pretty good sign. Ending was also fantastic, and I look forward to reading the next book!

Overall, a really good book and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the sequel. If you're a big fan of dragons you'll probably love it. If you're like me and aren't really sold on dragons, I'd say it's still worth picking up!

WOW! If you enjoyed Game of Thrones, The Hunger Games or How to Train your Dragon; you will fall in love with this novel.

The characters have a way at tugging at your heart, as you see them develop over the book. There was no way to guess how this book was going to end. Definitely one of the best books I've read this year!

House of Dragons was an INCREDIBLE novel by the amazing Jessica Cluess set in a world that’s being described as “Game of Thrones” for a younger audience. I have to agree with this comparison. The entire time in this world, I was thinking of knights with swords and…DRAGONS. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. The character arcs were well written and maintained my attention. I mean…you have 5 individuals fighting to become Emperor…I live for this trope. Dragons… swords… fighting… what else do you need? However, I thought Ajax was an ass, but every story needs a character that you want to kick in the face.

The world in which the story takes place, there was brutality, magic, a castle that shined gold…I was fully immersed in this world. The bonds the dragons had with their riders were well written to the point where I wasn’t put off by another dragon story. GREAT JOB, Jessica!

The story plot and character plots were well written and realistic. These characters had some demons of their own. There wasn’t a single moment I said, “That isn’t realistic!” When I say that I was fully in this story… it’s the truth.

I do wish the magic was as subtle but it wasn’t enough for me to give it anything but a 5/5.

I would HIGHLY recommend this novel to anywho who loves: GOT, dragons, magic, sword fighting, and amazing characters.

It’s available for preorder!

RATING: 5/5

I love the author’s other trilogy and this one had a very strong start. But halfway through, things went downhill a bit for me. The world, however, was wonderful and I loved the dragons so much. I think this one would have worked better with less POVs but that’s just because I didn’t connect with a few of the characters. I was mainly in it for Emilia and Lucian, who I loved so much! Hyperia was also awesome!