This book is captivating! I was fortunate enough to read it this week, and I simply couldn't put it down. Without a doubt, it’s my book of the year—it's that amazing!

Although there’s a long wait until the release of Emberclaw, it will definitely be worth it. The story is addictive, intense, and deadly delicious. Personally, Emberclaw is my favourite in the duology.

Reading it brought me joy, especially as I learned more into the lives of the characters, particularly Arcady, Everen, and Sorin. The writing is beautiful, and the story lingers after you turn the last page.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an eARC!

As a big fan of DRAGONFALL I was absolutely thrilled to receive the ebook of this sequel! This is the completion of the duology and it was such wonderful fun to read. Magical academia, heist, dragons -- what more can you ask for? I can't wait to get the hard copy - this was fantastic and I can't recommend enough!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

*Emberclaw* by L.R. Lam is a dazzling finale to the Dragon Scales duology! Arcady’s daring infiltration of the arcane University of Vatra and their fight to prove their worth are gripping, while Everen’s struggle to reclaim his place among dragons is both heartbreaking and inspiring. The magical trials, intense stakes, and rich world-building, complete with dragons and wraiths, kept me hooked from start to finish. The bond between Arcady and Everen adds a layer of emotional depth, making this a perfect read for fans of epic fantasy with heartfelt character arcs and thrilling action!

Emberclaw
by: L.R. Lam

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This sequel to the brilliantly crafted Dragonfall did not disappoint. We pick up right where we left off with our favorite nonbinary thief, Arcady, and our favorite grumpy dragon, Everen. They are exactly where we left them at the end of Dragonfall, which is to say, things are not going great. However, over the course of the book we get action, adventure, and even a bit of romance. This multi-POV story is epic and the world that Lam has built continues to astound me! This is not one to miss!

Note: The author was kind enough to create a recap chapter for all the events of Dragonfall at the start of the book, so a reread is not necessary (though surely would be enjoyable)!

A must read if you like:
🐉 Multi POV
🗡️ Rich World Building
🐉 Academia Setting
🗡️ Prophecies

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW Books for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a perfect ending to this fantasy duology. I think this was somehow better than Dragonfall. And I loved that this started with a nice succinct recap of Dragonfall. It’s been a while since I have read it so I needed that refresher! We need more of this in fantasy books!

Sorin and Arcady have some incredible character arcs in this story - something that cemented this as one of the best sequels I have read. This queer, trans dragon series is a must read entry into the dragon/fantasy genre as Lam builds up their own dragon lore and magic system that is fun and intricate. I love that we even get a bit of time seeing how the schooling might go for those rich enough to pursue it and how those that normally would not have been able to attend handle the differences between the classes.

I LOVED this duology and this book absolutely lived up to the buildup from the first book. The character growth, the magic and world-building continued to fleshed out as the story itself unfolded. I really loved the character growth and development over time.

Sorin my beloved I hated the absolute hell you were put through 😭 but I loved the character you turned out to be.. Arcady and Everen’s relationship development was also written incredibly well. The climax/big bad of the duology was super fascinating, and I found elements of it to be Norse mythology inspired and I really liked the way <!spoiler> the worlds were tied and the wraiths were created/developed as part of the wound in the serpent around the tree.

The magic system all reflecting the tree as well was a really nice touch and the entertaining theme of is our fate chosen for us or do we choose our fate was nice. I also loved the way Lam wrote the nonbinary-ness of Arcady, the sex scenes especially were great and the whole social system of identifiers when meeting new people and talking about them.

This book was absolutely fabulous. After reading Dragonfall, I felt that Emberclaw tied everything up, while giving us a lot more action. The worldbuilding was already completed in the first books, so this book portrays Everen and Arcady trying in their respective worlds to set things right for dragons and humans. L. R. Lam is a talented writer who tugs at your heartstrings while incorporating a couple plot lines. Absolutely an amazing duology that is a must read for any fantasy lover!

*Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy*

L.R. Lam is one of my favourite authors, and I was nervous for Emberclaw. I LOVED Dragonfall, and I wasn't sure how Emberclaw would live up to my expectations, but man oh man, it DID. I loved Emberclaw so much. The characters just felt like being with old friends again, and the story wrapped up so nicely.

The use of tropes in this book was so good, because they weren't cliche. It goes to show that you can use tropes and NOT be cliche about it. I find more and more popular books use tropes in a cliche way, but this was so different and I loved it.

4.5 stars

Thank you DAW and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so happy to be back with these characters and so anxious for what they faced.

I loved the whole magic academy plot this book had going for it. I didn’t actually think Arcady would get there and the fact that they did made me so genuinely happy even though they had so much crap to deal with.

I loved the relationship formed between Arcady and Sorin. I would absolutely love a short story of them just hanging out having some kind of carefree holiday together, like what their trip to Willem’s estate could have been under better circumstances.

I LOVED Willem, Rahela and Damon and the group they formed with Arcady. Honestly fictional friendships make my heart sing and this group was no exception.

The romance between Everen and Arcady is EVERYTHING. I love them so much!

The climax and resolution felt really well paced and I really enjoyed how everything turned out. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire last 100 pages.

I really loved this duology and I can’t recommend it enough.

I once again found myself captivated by this world and all who inhabit it. Emberclaw truly welcomed me back home again, and I am so thankful.

“It was you, and me, slowly catching fire.”

I already was in love with these characters, but I fell harder this time. I enjoyed learning more about Sorin’s story and her impact on fate. Arcady and Everen, of course, were just as enchanting as always. I continued to be amazed by how natural the relationships were and how easily I related to them. The yearning and longing for each other, and for peace, was intoxicating and I could drown in it forever. Every moment was more exciting than the last and I didn’t want it to end.

“We were ephemeral. We were a dream.”

I have already shared my intense love of this world and how it has felt like home to me. But Emberclaw solidified why I feel that way. Despite the turmoil that exists in this story, the promise of having a bond with another soul was so comforting. I was exhilarated by the hope of existing in a world where a love like that can flourish. I could exist in a pool full of the words from this story and never long for anything else.

I cannot thank DAW enough for access to the eARC of this book. I am so grateful for being able to immerse myself in this world once again. Thank you.

This duology series had me entranced since the first chapter of Dragonfall. Emberclaw delves deeper into the relationship between Arcady and Everen, as well as explaining more of Sorin's character and her conflicting morals. I loved reading through the trials and tribulations the protagonists go through as they learn to love themselves and one another. Their character development in this installment felt so real and intriguingly complicated. Not only were the characters given depth and emotional growth, but the world-building in Emberclaw was beautiful. The streets of Loc and Arcady's key shop were so beautifully detailed. The amount of work that was put into the physical world was equally as magnificent when reading about the different magic spells and sign language used throughout the book. The fantasy and magical realm mixed with non-conforming ideas of gender was so seamless that I almost forgot it was a problem in the real world. If it's not obvious, Emberclaw was a heart-wrenchingly beautiful conclusion to this series. I loved reading every line of it; these characters and the things that they represent mean so much to me and many others. Thank you for putting this out into the world.