For fans of:
- The Sky on Fire

I highly recommend this book to all lovers of dragons, magical mysteries, and/or complex politics.

This book includes:
- dragons, dragons, dragons
- 3 distinct POVs, each with their own story
- arranged marriage
- class disparity/class consciousness
- LGBT representation
- twins

"Between Dragons and Their Wrath" took me completely by surprise. What a fantastic journey, full of complex characters and political scheming. I really enjoyed following three very distinct characters (with very different personalities and goals) through their separate journeys while trying to puzzle out how it would all come together. There are so many satisfying twists to this plot line and EVERYONE has secrets/schemes. I also enjoyed the themes of class disparity, racism, exploitation of vulnerable identities, and ethnic cleansing. Often I see books with "rebel" plotlines ignore this aspect of political corruption, but the author does not shy away from these topics. This book manages to subtly force readers to reflect on these topics, while still being entertaining and engaging.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, Orbit, and Devin Madson for the opportunity to review this book. This review is also available on my GoodReads - check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863

Between Dragons and Their Wrath
by Devin Madson

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4,5)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Between Dragons and Their Wrath is a captivating fantasy novel that masterfully intertwines the lives of three protagonists: a glassmaker caught in a perilous arranged marriage, an ousted lord turned dragon rider tasked with defending his homeland, and a laundress grappling with newly awakened powers. Each character’s story is vividly narrated, creating a rich tapestry of detailed, immersive storytelling. Initially, the storylines seem disparate, but as the plot unfolds, the intricate connections between them become clear, pulling the reader deeper into the narrative.

Set in a desert basin brimming with political intrigue, alchemical magic, and looming revolution, the novel excels in crafting a world that feels both unique and authentic. The culture depicted, with echoes of ancient Eastern civilizations, is presented without over-explanation, a refreshing and much-needed departure from the often Eurocentric settings in fantasy. This natural portrayal of a non-Western setting that is neither overexplained (nor need it be defended) highlights the genre’s potential for diversity.

One of the most striking aspects of the book is its representation of LGBTQ+ relationships. I'm serious, this book is so gay, and it's great. Same-sex relationships are portrayed naturally, seamlessly integrated into the story. This adds depth and inclusivity to the narrative, but what strikes me the most is how much it's not a big deal in the book canon, how "normal" it is. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community myself, this is how I think it should be. Within and beyond the romance Madson’s characters are complex and relatable, their flaws and growth driving much of the story’s emotional resonance.

While the book feels like a setup for the next installment, leaving some plotlines unresolved and lacking a traditional 'first novel in a fantasy series' climax, it's rich and engaging world more than make up for it, drawing the reader in and keeping them drawn.

The audiobook narration is exceptional, with each voice adding a distinct layer to the storytelling.
Each of the three narrators narrates beautifully, providing a rich array of character voices and tonality. I struggled to differentiate between the two female voices initially, but that seems more my flaw - they're not that similar, all told.

If you loved the Empire Trilogy by Feist & Wurts, you'll LOVE this. Although I have to say this book was even better - it has dragons, after all. Fans of immersive fantasy with a diverse cast and intricate world-building will find much to love here, and I eagerly anticipate the next book in the series.

Between Dragons And Their Wrath by Devin Madson is a unique fantasy novel with politics, queer characters but sadly a lack of dragons.

First I wanted to say the narration was fantastic. It was so good, I wonder if I would have like it less if I read it physically.

I was worried about the 3 POVS as generally too many points of view is not my thing. I ended up enjoying all of Ashadi's, Nailing's, and Tesha's POVs. Each main character were their own unique person that made them enjoyable. But sadly I felt like things got left out because of the anount of point of views and I ended up with more questions than answers and left wanting to understand more by the end of the book.

The political plot was enjoyable and I enjoyed how everything weaved together, even if it was a little too much.

The world building was lacking and made it confusing at times, but I can tell you that everyone wears skirts. I absolutely love that imagery, but I wished for more.

I feel like the best way to describe this book was "wanting more".

Thank you Net galley Hachette audio for this Arc. Everything in this review is my honest opinion. At this currently moment it is debatable whether I will continue the series, but I enjoyed my time with the book nevertheless.

Thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the ARC.
4.5/5

Now this was a story I was happy to get lost in! Of course, with 'dragon" in the title that immediately grabbed my attention and then to get handed crazy plant magic and political shenanigans, I am all in on that. The story is told through 3 POV's, each distinctly different that introduces us to all the levels of society and all the problems that the characters are facing at the moment. Naili is a laundress for a reclusive alchemist who suddenly finds she has access to strange powers over plants but if she can't learn to control it, it may end up killing her. Tesha is an apprentice in a glass blowers' shop who finds herself in a My Fair Lady type of situation that puts her completely out of her element. And finally, there is Ash, a lord who lost his status as heir and was sent to become a dragon rider and protect the region from danger.
The world created here has so many wonderful layers and as you spend time with each character you learn the history and what the challenges are that has set the region on the brink of war. Getting to see everything from high society dinners to the criminal underbelly of the cities and how dangerous the job of the dragons and their riders is. Each of the characters feels fully rounded out and I just adored the relationship between Ash and Mana, I for sure need more of this please. And a snarky dragon who puts you in your place.......loved Shu so much!! And while I knew that eventually our characters would need to come together somehow, I liked that it hasn't been rushed and there is still so much that can happen that might keep them apart. All of the politics, backstabbing, betrayals and secrets upon secrets is delicious and the Reacher is a character that you love to hate. So many wonderful layers here and am so looking forward to what comes next.
I listened to the audiobook, and it was just terrific!! There is a different narrator for each POV and they all do a fantastic job inhabiting their character and giving each such a distinct voice. I definitely recommend not only the story but also the audio if that is how you choose to read this story. Looking forward to what Devin has in store for these characters going forward!!

3.5 rounded up.

The narrators for this were absolutely perfect, to start there. Each brings such a unique tone to the character they narrate and I so appreciate the choice to have three separate narrators for the three separate points of view. Even less exciting chapters managed to be attention-grabbing thanks to their work.

On the other hand, this book was difficult to rate in terms of story. Ash and Tesha's perspectives were particularly intriguing, giving us differing views of this world (one as a banished elite, and the other sneaking into the halls of the elite) that we've been thrown into. Naili's part was more complicated - there were odd consent issues throughout her story, and it really just didn't feel like as much happened throughout the book for her. Overall, the book as a whole felt much more like a prelude to the larger story, giving us so many questions and a large lack of answers. But the world-building was interesting, and I'm curious to see what happens in the sequel to these characters!

I am so glad that this story was narrated by three narrators - it made the experience more immersive and I think they each embodies the story well!

This is definitely not an easy read, but if you're looking for a wonderfully complex queer fantasy, it's an absolute treat! The only challenge I experienced, which could be entirely my fault, was that there were a lot of similar words for places and names. So I occasionally swapped people and places around. I don't know if this would have been mitigated by reading a physical copy or hybrid read!

I enjoyed immersing myself in Devin Madson's fantasy world of Between the Dragon and their Wrath through Hachette's new audiobook. It is narrated with grace and expertise by three voice actors: Laura Fortgang, Ron Butler, and Soneela Nankani. Together, they skilfully weave the tales of Tesha, Ashadi, and Naili as these characters navigate a shattered empire on the brink of revolution, filled with political intrigue and forbidden romance.

The Narrator did a fantastic job in this book lending the voice perfectly for each characters. Thanks Netgalley, Hachette and Orbit for the arc.

Devin Madson's Between Dragons and Their Wrath is an intriguing epic fantasy with a compelling cast of queer characters.

This novel follows three characters as they face shifting political and military realities in the fantastical Kingdom of Paicha. It features forbidden romance, secret histories, a powerful alchemist, organized crime, and political scheming.

The arc I received was an audiobook. However, I recommend reading this novel in a physical or ebook format, as understanding the world building would likely be much easier. Because many characters and groups were called by similar names, I was sometimes confused by the political situation in the Kingdom and the cultures involved.

I enjoyed the plot. Rooting for the characters was easy, and the stakes often felt high. Yet, very little is wrapped up at the end of the book. In my opinion, too many questions are left for the next book to answer, which meant that the ending felt unsatisfying and like it came out of nowhere. Otherwise, the strong points of this book's plot involve its political maneuvering. For that reason, I enjoyed the political arranged marriage plot from Tesha's perspective and Ash's covered-up experiences in the military. Tailia's chapters fell the flattest--plot-wise--for me. They just weren't as believable.

The characters were pretty compelling. Many of them were queer, which was great! I particularly enjoyed Ash and Mana's relationship. I liked reading from Tesha's point of view. However, Tailia was just way too horny at the strangest times.

There are some issues with consent in this book. A couple of the spicy scenes are definitely not consensual, but that's never treated like it's a problem at all. There are also two different cultures in this book, and at one point, one of the cultures is characterized as finding it important to ask for permission in physical interactions, while the other doesn't...which felt kind of off-putting. Honestly, I wasn't sure how to factor this element of the book into my review because I mostly enjoyed it otherwise. However, I think it's important that readers are aware of this book's approach to consent so that they can make an informed, emotionally safe choice about reading it.

While I had some criticisms for Between Dragons and Their Wrath, I would not hesitate to pick up the second book. I need to know what happens to Ash, Mana, and Tesha.

This was a really good high Fantasy book, but by no means perfect.
In the beginning, I really struggled with this audio book as there was almost no world building information at all. Instead, we get at least 15 minutes of description about how laundry is done in this world (and probably used to be done in ours before it got automated). Honestly, had I been reading this in print or as an ebook, I probably would have finished at that point. Luckily, I didn’t though, as the story really picks up shortly after and gets really interesting and captivating. By the end, the book was hard to put down.
Still, even knowing why many things were not explained in the beginning, I still think there is not enough world building information, especially regarding how the world and its politics are structured, which is especially sad if one considers that politics play a very important role in this. This led to me feeling lost at many times and probably also missing important hints toward plot points and twists.
Other than that though, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were (very) flawed, yet still people to root for and I can’t wait to see their storylines all come together in later books.
The relationships were a bit harder, as no one in this world seems to know the meaning of communication and just talking to each other (yes, even with trust issues that’s possible!). I hope this changes in future books as it was really frustrating and exhausting at times.
I also loved that a lot of the MCs (if not all) are queer, mostly bi-spec.
All in all, a really good book, but with room for improvement.

5 stars to the narrators of this audiobook. Bravo! Yall did great with your choices and how you brought these POVs to life.

2 stars to the actual story. I thought this was going to be everything I look for in a book but unfortunately this didn't meet that for me. The worldbuilding was extremely vague which made me so confused on why/how this entire system works. The characters were okay however lacked growth or depth. Honestly it's a really big pet peeve of mine when sapphic characters are written to be predatory and extremely sexual. We deal with that stereotype every day and having to read it in leisure time is even more frustrating. Representation for the sake of it isn't as impactful as having a heartfelt approach to the characters you are trying to represent. Be attentive to the stereotypes you are weaving into them. There were not enough moment with dragons. The politics portion started to go somewhere and then got lost. I feel like the plot didn't know where it wanted to go and just spun us around in circles. I'll be honest this isn't the quality I'm used to reading from Orbit but I appreciate the opportunity to dive into this world.

Even so, i wish this author luck and I hope the book can find it's audience.

Lord Reacher declares himself supreme ruler to enforce unity, which ends up threatening to tear the basin apart. Tesha, a glassblower apprentice who has a knack for poison, becomes a false tribute bride to infiltrate the political enemy. Naili, a laundress to the alchemist, develops a strange new ability that is slowly consuming her. Ashadi, a sharp-shooting dragon rider in the desolate Shield Mountains, protecting the basin from the monsters of The Sands. But when his dragon is shot by an impossible bullet that pierces the dragon's glass scales. Tesha, Naila, and Ashadi must figure out how to navigate the political mess to unbury old and new secrets.

A multiple POV with multiple narrators is one of my favorites. I find it easier to follow with more than one narrator, especially in a novel with lots of politics. The concept of the book is interesting lots of politics, world-building, secrets, and more than one queer romance. The beginning was slow but picked up around chapter 4. I am invested and will be continuing yet another series.

It’s a little hard to review this book because I was zoning out for the first 10% of this book and I have barely any recollection of the next 20% so that tells you something about that book I suppose lmao. I thought the themes this book tackled were done in a way I found interesting, whether it was the colonialism or the cultural differences. I was just expecting more dragons since they are in the title but we barely saw one and I get that they are more of a representation of the oppression of a certain group in this world but still I WANTED MORE DRAGONS! I liked the different POV’s featured here but I struggled to differentiate the two women’s perspectives at the beginning since they have the same voice actor (at least they sounded similar to me). I enjoyed this story but I’m not sure I’ll keep on reading this series, and the cliffhanger is more of a reveal but doesn’t necessarily make me want to get my hands on book 2. 3 stars

Unfortunately, I just couldn't connect with Between Dragons and Their Wrath by Devin Madsen. I'm a plot driven reader in the stories I enjoy, and this plot really went nowhere. Because of the drag, it took me quite a long time to get through.

I can see where the author was trying to world build and set up for future books in the series, but all that info-dumping came at the expense of this first book. It read like a very long introduction scene, without any action. Nor did the characters themselves spark any interest for me, as we're introduced to 3 POVs and I didn't care about any of them. They seemed quite young compared to the given ages, and the spicy scenes just didn't fit with the characters or the overall book. It all seemed much more YA romantasy than adult high fantasy, so perhaps that needs a category change.

I don't think the synopsis fit what actually happened, nor does the title - there's a distinct lack of dragons and dragon scenes. Literal and metaphorical dragons.

(Although the narration cast did a great job, I think this is better to read than listen to. But that has no effect on the rating.)

I enjoyed immersing myself in Devin Madson's fantasy world of Between the Dragon and their Wrath through Hachette's new audiobook. It is narrated with grace and expertise by three voice actors: Laura Fortgang, Ron Butler, and Soneela Nankani. Together, they skilfully weave the tales of Tesha, Ashadi, and Naili as these characters navigate a shattered empire on the brink of revolution, filled with political intrigue and forbidden romance.

The Celes Basin, born of conquest, faces new threats as the Lord Reacher proclaims himself the supreme ruler to preserve unity, igniting old animosities that threaten to tear the land asunder. Tesha, a talented glassblower's apprentice turned tribute bride embroiled in a dangerous political game, faces a moral dilemma that challenges her loyalties.

Naili, a laundress with peculiar abilities sought after by the city's clandestine rulers, must harness her newfound powers to survive and drive change in a world consumed by chaos. Meanwhile, in the desolate Shield Mountains, Ashadi, a skilled dragon rider, finds himself hunted after a dire encounter that shatters the fragile peace. If anything I needed more dragon action and lore, maybe they will come in books 2 and 3?

Amidst political machinations, buried truths, and looming threats, Tesha, Naili, and Ashadi must confront their deepest fears and adversaries to forge a path forward. Devin Madson's storytelling is evocative, laced with quirky humor and a good level of tension. Once I got into the world Madson created, it all unfolded seamlessly, Fortgang, Butler, and Nankani narration felt just to the story.

The line 'Better the bee we have than the dragon we don’t' encapsulates the essence of this tale of courage, sacrifice, and resilience. #PudseyRecommends

Thanks Netgalley, Hachette and Orbit for the arc.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

First of all I want to say what an outstanding job from thee three narrators. The audio mixing as well, made it incredibly easy to transport off into a new world during all my morning and evening commutes. The quality of the production really elevated the standards of what I thought was an average and trope-grab story.
That being said, I have no issues with the author or the narrator's themselves, but the book's plot felt aimless and from the start designed to extend to a following novel instead of solving the first issues at hand. While I applaud the presence of queer characters as leading voices in novels I feel like the author tried to slip in "spicy" scenes to call for more readers to pick up the book, but spice doesn't add to a novel unless you are captivated or entertained by the characters. I felt neither.

It was a pretty average story, with a colorful scenario and fantastic ideas... I just hope the next book has better execution,

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette audio for the Audio ARC. Set to release on 8/27/2024, these opinions are my own.

Dragons, politics, gangs, romance, albeit complicated romance.

This one fell in the middle for me. It has all the making of a true epic, but the steamy scenes sort of don't fit and at times pulled me to far from the story.

I loved multiple POV, but felt this could have been slimmed down by a few hours. 15+ hour of audio and at times I just lost track of what was happening

I really enjoyed this (audio)book!
I struggled a little bit in the beginning, since the three different POVs felt really different from each other, and I didn't see how they were connected. but after a third of the book I just wanted to continue! I loved how in the end the stories intertwined with each other and I can't wait for the sequel!

The narration of the audiobook also really helped for wanting to continue. All POVs had their own narrator and they all had such great voices to listen to and they really fitted the characters. Especially the female narrators!

This book is a great start to a new fantasy series! I love a book with multiple POVs that eventually connect together and I found myself enjoying all of these characters. While these don’t link up properly until towards the end, I piece together how they were related from fairly early on. I’m looking forward to seeing these interweaving stories more in the next book.

This book is set in an intriguing world. There is magic and magical creatures but there is still a lot to be explained as our characters inevitably learn more themselves in the next book. I think this world could really expand and I hope we get to see more of it and more characters from elsewhere in the next books.

While sometimes having multiple POVs in a fantasy book can be hard to follow and remember who is who, I didn’t find that was the case here. I could easily separate the characters in my head and could see what their goals were.

This book also has some romance storylines within it, and while it is not the main focus, it is definitely there. And it’s queer which is always nice to see in fantasy.

I listened to the audiobook for this and it was fantastic! There was a different narrator for each POV which made the experience so much better and easy to follow and remember who you were with.

I have high hopes for the rest of the series!

Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the copy to review.
(4.5 stars)

This was so good, love a multi-POV fantasy, and this had it all, a marriage plot, spies, political intrigue, dragons, magic, alchemy. What fun. The world building was vast, and our characters all felt well rounded, making unfortunate decisions, and scheming (who doesn't love a good scheme).

I listened to the audiobook, and the cast of narrators were fabulous, loved every second of it.

I already can't wait for the next one to come out!

After reading The Reborn Empire recently, I fell in love with Devin Madson’s storytelling, and I couldn’t help but jump at this chance, even though I was already overloaded on ARCs. Luckily, this was an audiobook, which I don’t have much of a backlog on, so I was able to get started on it quickly.

My big concern with reading fantasy novels as audiobooks is that they are going to be sprawling or complicated, and I won’t be able to follow along as easily when listening to it versus when reading it. That only happens once in a while, and it was a little difficult for me to get into the audiobook at first, but I restarted it and took some notes, and then it was easier to follow the story and really get into everything. It is told through the eyes of three main POV characters, each narrated by a different person (Soneela Nankani as Naili, Lauren Fortgang as Tesha, and Ron Butler as Ashadi). The characters are written in very different writing styles, making each of them distinctive. Naili is written with an especially flowery and romantic touch, talking about the smell of emotions, almost in the style of Stephanie Garber with a little less whimsy. Tesha is distinctly a schemer, and the type of person who is used to picking up skills quickly, so she finds it frustrating when she doesn’t pick up something as fast as she is used to. And Ashadi has that combination of confidence and swagger that nobles have. Each of them have their strengths and weaknesses, and we get to see a lot of change in them over the course of the story, which is one of my favorite things to see.

The characters each give us insight into a different area of the Shattered Kingdom and offer a birds-eye view into a kingdom on the verge of war … and rebellion. They’re all written so perfectly for the roles that they play in the book, and I really liked getting to know them. Although I liked Tesha immediately, Ashadi took a little bit to grow on me, and Naili took the longest for me to really like and identify with, but we eventually got there, and that’s all that matters. It didn’t hurt that she’s voiced by one of my favorite narrators, so I was happy just listening to Soneela Nankani reading until I really got into her storyline. I also loved the queer-centric world that Madson built, much like her other series.

Any time a leader declares himself supreme anything, it’s a bad sign for the society they’re in charge of. And in this story, Lord Reacher has valid threats to his kingdom, but uniting the Shattered Empire isn’t going to be that simple, and trying to by declaring himself to be supreme ruler pushes his realm nearly to the point of rebellion. Each of the characters plays a very different role in this story: Tesha is an insult bride placed close to Lord Reacher in an effort to sabotage him, but her heart threatens to get in the way; Naili works for an eccentric alchemist as a laundress and has developed strange new abilities, soon catching the eye of the local crime underworld; and Ashadi, a dragon rider who seems to be too smart for his own good when he starts asking questions he shouldn’t, and isn’t willing to let it go, ending up on the run.

Overall, this was a fantastic story, and it was told wonderfully in audiobook format, once I got past the first three chapters and had the stage set. Madson’s real strength is in the realistic and frequently witty banter between characters that makes her stories so enjoyable. The plot and characters and the world building and character development are also great, but if conversation is stilted, it just doesn’t feel like it’s as good of a book. Naturally, the story leaves off on a cliffhanger and we’re forced to wait for the next book to be written and released, which isn’t going to be soon enough. That would have been immediately after finishing this book, but I’ll just have to keep myself busy in the meantime reading other books while waiting.