This was a pretty dang decent book and I'm pretty sure it's a debut novel as well, so I am impressed. But I did want a little bit more oomph to it.

I feel like I've been using the word "oomph" a lot lately and I have no idea where that came from but it just works, so I use it. Anyway, tangent about word choice aside...

I liked the general story and we all know I love court drama and intrigue in a fantasy novel, but I couldn't connect to the characters. It's not that they felt flat, but I just couldn't relate. They didn't quite feel real to me, they just felt like they were there, just fictional characters. Which, duh, they are fictional characters, but I like when I am reading a book and they don't feel that way. Ya know? I think that they just were not likeable? Especially our FMC. She was kind or arrogant and for no reason?

And I could not get behind a character being named Hark. I hated that. I just kept reading his name as the sort of older English "hark! Who goes there?" and it really took me out of it.

But there are dragons! So that's a plus. I would like a dragon, please and thank you.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher One More chapter for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This follows the king's assassin as she is assigned a task with her arch nemesis the king's royal ambassador, Hark. This latest assignment makes her not only face her past but also her present situation.

This was a fun fantasy romance. The main FMC did come off pretty abrasive. She has this one issue at the beginning that is supposed to explain her ferocity and issues with people in general but I found it telling me instead of showing me.

I also did not understand why she was so savage to the main male love interest when she contradicts herself by serving the king.

This was okay 🤷

Arla and Hark are great together 😍

The story sets off immediately, the writing and the world building suck you in, while the banter between Arla and Hark keep you hooked throughout.

I loved the twists, even though I saw them coming, but I didn't care 😃

This was such a fun read, I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I found myself to be more entertained by this book than I expected! Some of the "technical" aspects of the book could be better, the pacing for example felt odd in a few parts of the book but on the bright side the characters were enjoyable! But my focus is the story itself. And that? That was wonderful. Arla and Hark were both fun to read about through the journey each with their own strength and witness. As always I must request more dragons but I am also obsessed with dragons so take that with a grain of salt. Even with a slower start there were enough twists and turns to keep tensions building to the end and creating a brilliant start to a series. I look forwards to seeing more!

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley who provided me with an eARC of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.


NO SPOILERS

While I will start by saying that this book was not a hit for me, there were still aspects of it I enjoyed and there is a target audience that I believe will really love it.

I appreciate the author breaking with the trope of heroines that reinforce how they “aren’t like other girls” by refusing to wear dresses/fine clothes, have nice things, and generally look down upon things that are seen as delicate or feminine as a way to establish how tough and different they are. While it’s perfectly okay for a character to not like those things–especially if there is a narratively good reason for it–I dislike that luxury, safety or femininity is seen as inherently weak. I love a main character that unabashedly likes soft beds, good food, pretty jewelry, etc. with an attitude of “Yeah, gimme all the good stuff. Why would I sleep on the floor, are you crazy?”

My struggle with this book lay mostly in the pacing. I had a difficult time connecting with the characters, and critical interactions were so rushed that I was often baffled by the actions and motivations of the characters. I think the book suffered from overbalance of “tell” rather than “show” writing–I enjoy a flawed character as much as the next reader, but those characters should be unreliable narrators about those flaws. If they are completely self-aware of every aspect of themselves (to the point of repeatedly announcing it in dialog), it makes it difficult to have empathy for those flaws. If they are aware of the harm they cause and why and make zero effort to mitigate it, it becomes ponderous rather than complex and conflicted.

While this ended up not being my cup of tea, I don’t think it was necessarily a bad book, I was simply not the target audience. Fans of books like ACOTAR and Fourth Wing are sure to devour this and beg for more, and I encourage readers who enjoyed those books to pick this up.

3.5/5

This fantasy romance is a captivating blend of adventure, emotion, and fiery chemistry. The writing is immersive, drawing you into a vivid world with complex characters and rich backstories. The banter between the enemies-turned-lovers is sharp and natural, and the forced proximity trope adds an electrifying tension that makes their slow-burn relationship incredibly satisfying.

Arla, a trained assassin, is tough and skilled but far from perfect. While her occasional poor decisions feel inconsistent, they highlight her overconfidence and reckless disregard for her own life. The stakes are high, and while the villain lacks depth, the intense action and Arla’s character development kept me hooked.

This book is darker and grittier than most, with graphic violence that may not be for everyone. Still, the snarky wit and emotional growth of the characters make it a compelling read. If you enjoy complex, strong female leads and fantasy stories with a darker edge, this is one you’ll want to check out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC!

Dragonhart is the first book in a NA romantasy series. The political intrigue of the plot was the strongest part of the book for me, and it built a strong foundation for the sequels.

Arla's character was what determined my rating in the end, but I can see her being well-liked by other readers. I do like strong, stabby FMCs but when they verge into bratty, that usually makes a book feel younger for me, more YA than NA, and I find myself frustrated by that protagonist's decisions. This did feel very intentional by the author though. She'd written Arla as someone who had become complacent as the King's Assassin and she went through some character development in this book as a result. So the brattiness was all for a reason, but unfortunately it also meant that I didn't connect with Arla as a character. I can see readers who read YA loving her, but I'm intentionally moving away from YA for this reason.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

This book had plenty of action and romance and was overall an enjoyable fantasy!
At times, Arla was a tad unbearable just because she was so dang stubborn and mean sometimes lol. The beginning was a tad slow to start but by like 30-40% I found myself really invested! Hark was a pretty liable MMC after awhile, I cant help but to like a grumpy man. any book with dragons is going to hold my attention and I loved that aspect of this. Solid world building!

The potential for a great story however I did find it quite hard to get into and struggled to connect to the characters.

I found Arla to be quite unbearable at times and found it difficult to accept she was this feared assassin when she actually got bested a few times and was pretty sloppy.

I also wish the dragons were in this more. as they only appear at roughly the 70% mark, however I understand this is a series and they will be mentioned more!

Would be a good book for a younger audience!

Thank you NetGalley, Abbie Eaton, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book delivers plenty of action and tension, and the romance is genuinely one of the highlights. The slow-burn relationship between Arla and Hark is well-executed, adding depth to the overall narrative and evolving in a satisfying way.

Arla is a strong and determined protagonist, which I appreciated, but her repetitive hatred and stubbornness sometimes made parts of the book feel stagnant. I also found her reluctance to consider ideas beyond her upbringing frustrating, even when the evidence was clear. Without Hark’s POV, I think I might have grown tired of her. His perspective added a much-needed balance and helped me stay engaged.

The novel had a slow start, and it wasn’t until the 40% mark that I felt truly invested in the story. However, once the plot began to pick up, I enjoyed the new characters introduced and the direction the story took. The writing really came together in the second half, showcasing great potential for the rest of the series.

While I liked the twists and tension, I found myself wanting more depth to the lore and a stronger emotional connection to the characters. The pacing felt uneven, with stretches that dragged and conflicts that didn’t hit as hard as I hoped. That said, the moments of passion and tension between Arla and Hark were palpable, and I enjoyed seeing their dynamic evolve.

By the end, I found myself curious about where this series will go next. While it had its ups and downs, there’s a lot of promise here, and I’m excited to see how the story develops in future instalments.

A breath taking fantasy adventure that delivers on every level—rich worldbuilding, compelling characters, and a fresh, immersive take on dragon mythology. The story is beautifully crafted, with intricate lore and a magic system that feels both unique and deeply rooted in the world. The protagonist’s journey is heartfelt and powerful, with emotional depth that keeps you invested from start to finish. Eaton’s prose is stunning, making every scene feel cinematic. A must-read for fantasy lovers and dragon enthusiasts alike!

Enemies to lovers, strong MMC and FMC, dragons and magic.
3 stars!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars rounding up to four because I feel like it shows a lot of promise for a series.
I’ve seen some people compare it to fourth wing and I wouldn’t say that that’s necessarily fair, even though it has dragons otherwise it’s nothing like fourth wing
If anything, it’s probably a mixture of powerless, and assassin’s blade but added dragons.
I do warn you that this very much has a young adult vibe and for the first half of the book I was wondering if I had managed to somehow sign up for a young adult ARC on accident.
But then there started to be some spicy scenes (which in my opinion, young adult books should never have anything more than kissing on the page)
So it gives high school/early college vibes as far as the Friend group and relationship.

Our FMC is extremely opinionated extremely sassy, extremely full of herself and reckless. She is a young woman with a lot of trauma and she acts out constantly. She is vicious and bloodthirsty, she has almost no friends, no family and has been raised to be an assassin by the king.

Our MMC is an ambassador from a neighboring kingdom. He is mysterious and grumpy. He doesn’t seem to care that he hails from an evil kingdom that killed the FMC’s parents and walks around the palace like he owns it.
Which obviously does not sit right with our FMC.
When shipments of supplies start going missing the two are forced to team up and to put their hatred aside to serve the king that saved her after her parents were killed .

This was an ok enough book. I unfortunately couldn't connect with the story and lost interest so many times but I can see others loving it. I didn't like the constant blaming of everthing on the MMC by the FMC just to keep a semblance of ennemies to lovers going while she befriends the prince, who is more to blame than anyone else for xyz (avoiding spoilers).

The writing was good though so I do think that this author has potential in this genre but the dialogue and likeability of her MCs needs a bit more work.

I very much enjoyed this romantasy from Abbie Eaten.
Loved the world building and the whole atmosphere the author created.
Can't wait for the next instalment!

3.75 stars.

This book reminded me of throne of glass and fourth wing combined. I enjoyed the banter between Arla and Hark, however I feel both characters could have had a little more depth. I liked the slow burn and would have liked to see it even a little longer. I enjoyed the layers of adventure, with new things revealed as the book progressed. I also enjoyed the presence of the dragons and would have even enjoyed more of them.
Overall for a debut novel it impressed me. It kept me engaged, and wanting to discover what happens next. Hopefully we see more dragons and more character development, with a continued flow of the story in the next book.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

I can see where Abbie Eaton was going with this debut romantasy novel.

Arla is a tough as nails King’s Assassin.
Hark is a seemingly competent ambassador with a big secret.

I loved where this story was going and I can see the vision.
However I felt like the chemistry between Hark and Arla left much to be desired. And I would’ve liked to have seen more depths to Arla.

Saying that; I definitely think there’s an audience for this book. Fans of Romantasy may want to dip their toe in this one.

I would definitely love to see where Abbie Eaton goes with her writing career in the future.

The bones of a good story are there. I think this author shows a lot of promise with this debut novel.

I just couldn't connect with the FMC no matter how I tried and unfortunately as a result I didn't connect with the story.

Arla is supposedly an undefeated assassin to the King. But within 25% of the book she's bested or surprised 4-5 times. I tried to reason that her arrogance comes with the age, but that's not true. She's just an arrogant character that loses her temper constantly. Also she blames Hark for what his kingdom did. Guilt by association. But then turns around and befriends the prince...she can blame Hark, but not Reuben?

And she blames Hark for everything. Even when she discovers something positive she still finds a way to blame him for its occurrence or that he wasn't able to stop it immediately. As an Ambassador. Sorry to Arla that he shares her air.

This story has potential, but Arla is almost as unlikeable as the King of Kastonia. Not even the dragons could bring this back for me. But maybe there's a reader out there that is looking for an unhinged FMC constantly in a rage.

Thank you to the author and publishers for allowing me an ARC via NetGalley!

This book is incredible. Initially I was hesitant, worried that the book would be complex and hard to understand with all the lore etc. but boy was it a ride. We have some of the best tropes: strong FMC who doesn’t *need* saving, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and DRAGONS. The influences from various other fantasy books are obvious - ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, TOG for some examples. Despite this, the book was unique in its own sense. TOG is my favourite fantasy series right now so I absolutely loved this book and every part of it. I loved the world building, the characters, the redemption arcs. I only wish I’d read this book sooner because I know I’m now going to try and be as stubborn and strong as Arla is! Overall, a fantastic read with lots of popular tropes, dedications to other fantasy series, and a book that I’m sad to finish. Books like this makes me so happy I found NetGalley!

Rating: 5/5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

3.25⭐️
🌶.5
Publication date: April 18th, 2025.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I did enjoy some parts of it, but other parts I struggled to push through.

✨️Overview✨️
Arla Reinhart, the king's assassin, is done with gods and dragons after being abandoned by them. But when crucial shipments vanish and kingdoms teeter on the brink of collapse, she may have to trust those powers again.
Enter Hark Stappen, the charming ambassador from the kingdom that wronged her family. Despite her resentment, Arla must team up with him to uncover the truth behind the chaos. Their journey reveals shocking truths that challenge everything Arla believes about herself, the world, and their growing connection

✨️My thoughts✨️
I really enjoyed the lore, the unique magic system, and some of the characters, especially Jack, Sebastian, and Kase, and loved the dragons!
This book is action-packed, and there's a lot crammed into this short 400-page book, so as you can imagine, it's incredibly fast-paced. I love fast-paced fantasy books, but I felt this was a bit too fast-paced at times. Whenever I was immersed in a scene, I was really enjoying, I felt like the scene was over too quickly, and the story had moved onto something else. It was really frustrating! But I did thoroughly enjoy the action-packed scenes, I just wish they were longer.
The pacing also had a negative effect on romance. There just wasn't enough tension between Arla and Hark for me. It made it difficult to become invested in their relationship.
I think it's definitely worth the read, and I'll probably read book 2.

Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.