Thank you for this early copy, NetGalley!

Dragonhart's premise is really what sold me in to wanting to read this book. While I liked the idea of this, honestly the execution just wasn't for me. I am all for taking inspiration from other books/characters, but this one really felt like a direct reference to Throne of Glass with this main female character. I enjoyed her, but she just didn't feel unique and there were times I just couldn't connect with her. I did enjoy this premise and the male main character, but some of the pacing of this just threw me off. I was hoping for more dragons in this, and I felt the ending was rushed. Overall, this was fine. I'm intrigued enough to wonder what is next, but this was just fine. I'm hoping if this is a series that there is a bit more substance to the story and to the characters themselves.

There is so much potential within this story. It's very close to being one of those epic stories and I have little doubt that its going to be a hit on booktok but personally this wasn't one for me.

I really struggled to connect to the FMC. Yes, she had been through unimaginable trauma and had lost so much. But she comes out looking like an awkward, spoilt, arrogant child who has no idea of the real world. She's 18 and a master assassin except everyone in the kingdom and beyond knows exactly who she is?

She is mad at our MMC no matter what. Mad at him for the crimes of his kingdom. Mad at him for being arrogant. Mad at him... for actually being a good guy and fighting injustice? Mad at him for doing what she wanted to do, and has been doing? I'm very confused. She's mad at him, yet within days bonds with the Prince of the enemy kingdom, who by virtual of his actual blood is way closer to the actual crimes she is obsessed with. So somehow she can separate the literal son of her family's murderer from his crimes, yet cannot do the same for any other innocent within that kingdom?

Also she hated one of the only two 'proper' female side characters, and as far as I could tell, she hated her... because she was a woman? There was a hint at first that she was jealous of her, which ok, could understand, but then as the story carried on, it seemed like she just hated her because she was another woman. Yay for women on women hate?

However. The book did start to pick up for me after the first third, once the truth about the shipments were revealed. Yes, the MFC carried on blaming the MMC for everything which wore thin very quickly, as did her arrogant 'I'm the best' behaviour, but as the story really started to focus in on what was going on, it did pick up. I wanted to like it so much more than I did, and I will probably read the next one because I care enough about the world, if not many of the individual characters.

Dragonhart is the debut novel by Abbie Eaton set to release on April 18, 2025

Arla is our FMC and the King's assassin and is sent on a mission with the ambassador of the neighboring kingdom, Hark Stappen. Their story is one of hidden secrets, hatred born from misunderstandings and past prejudices and realizing that things aren’t always as they seem.

What you will find:
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Rival Kingdoms
Revenge
Dragons
Secret Magic

Spice level: 1/5 One short scene with a few references
Romance: 3/5 Watching our royal assassin realize just how much she cared for the dangerous ambassador she thought she loved to hate was *chef's kiss* perfection.
Pacing: The pacing starts slowly and picks up as the book enters the second half.
Worldbuilding: 3/5 Vivid descriptions and I’m looking forward to finding out more about Eaton’s world
Violence: 2/5 She is an assassin…
Additional info: Dragons show up in the last 30% of the book and we hope there is a Book 2 for more!
Favorite character: I enjoyed following Arla and her journey from where she came from to where she's headed
Favorite quote: “Everybody has a little bit of magic in them, Miss Reinhart, if only you know where to look…”

The book doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, but there’s still so much left to explore. I’m really hoping for a sequel that picks up right where Book 1 leaves off. I need more of Arla and Hark now that they’ve finally acknowledged their feelings for each other. And...I’d love to see more of the side characters—Jack, Sebastian, and Kase. You know I’m all about those side characters!

I did receive this arc on NetGalley, thank you NetGalley & One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love a dragon book, but this one wasn't really a winner. The main character was very frustrating, and I couldn't connect with her at all. That made the book a bit of a struggle to get through and I found myself not really enjoying it, even though the plot had a lot of promise.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley, One More Chapter/Harper Collins and Abbie Heaten for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Dragonhart is a YA fantasy romance introducing us to Arla Reinhart, the King's assassin and has a fearsome reputation throughout the kingdoms. She is forced to work with Hark Stappen who is from a rival kingdom, who were responsible for the death of her parents. Arla is out for revenge but needs to investigate why shipments are going missing with him.

As they start to work together Arla learns more about magic, gods and dragons in her world which she thought were mere stories. She also begins to see Hark for more than just the disliked ambassador she perseved him as.

This book does have TOG vibes with Arla's role and her sassy attitude, it does also say Fourth Wing but I would only say in the bond she creates later in the plot.

It took me a while to warm up to this book but at 60% something started clicking into place, it is a slow paced story. I do rate this at 3.75 but have rounded up to 4 star. Arla isn't the easiest character to connect with at the beginning, which may have been done on purpose to give her the arrogant assassin profile, but hopefully if this story continues she will develop more.

“She was wrath, and fury, and vengeance. She was blood, and fire, and truth, and she would never again be useless.”

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Lost magic
Multi POV
Forced proximity/reluctant partnership
Slow burn
Revenge seeking FMC

It was like reading a blended version of Dance of Thieves, Queen of Shadows, From Blood & Ash and Fourth Wing without the substance.

I really enjoyed this book at times. However, I was constantly being jolted into plot lines and characters from other books.

The enemies to lovers didn’t have enough slow burn tension. It seemed like they tried to use as many tropes as possible in this book. One bed at the inn, who did this to you, fuck it, close proximity, enemies to lovers. It was too many things at once with not enough depth.

The author did have a talented way of writing suspense into her scenes, which I loved!

2.5 rounded up.


Thank you Netgalley & HarperCollins for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

2 stars DNF at 11%
Thank you to NetGallery and HarperCollins UK publishing for allowing me to read this debut.
I would rate this 1 star but I don't think it's fair enough for me to rate it that as I didn't get far enough in. From the first chapter I had a feeling this wasn't going to be for me, and I acknowledge that I've barely read it so it may have gotten better I just don't like the set up so far. I will say I probably didn't get far enough to get world building as quite frankly I don't have the patience. I've read most of the other reviews and I came to the conclusion that it's not worth it for me to continue. I find this writing style petulant and it reads like young teenagers arguing over something that the context doesn't make the cut for me. I will say it's taken me like 3 or 4 days of continually picking the book and setting it down. Which is really unfortunate for me as when interest is gone, motivation takes over for me and I guess it just didn't work. Now if people don't have expectations going in I think it'd be better and obviously this story has become beloved by some and I wish the best reading experience to all those who decide to pick it up!

Thank you NetGallery and HarperCollins UK once again!

Beneath Castle Grey, there are dragons in a slumber so deep, not even the gods can wake them. This is what Arla had been told when she was a little girl. But now, at eighteen, she was vicious, and angry, and did not believe in the dragons that had once served the gods.

Dragonhart is a debut novel promising an enemies-to-lovers arc between Arla Reinhart, the King’s Assassin, and Hark Stappen, ambassador to her opposing kingdom, all set in the backdrop of a world with gods, dragons, and magic.

Unfortunately, the book doesn’t quite manage to deliver on its premise. The largest problem was the FMC, Arla. She’s extremely arrogant and rude to almost everyone around her. It began to grate about halfway through the book, when she showed absolutely no signs of changing. There was potential for a wonderful character arc with Arla learning to grow beyond her role, but it just…never happens. The interactions between her and Kase, one of the only other female characters, is absolutely terrible. Arla constantly puts her down in a way that feels very specific to being a woman. Arla begins as a haughty assassin, and stays there the rest of the novel.

The best comparison I have is a Temu Aelin, from the Throne of Glass series.

Then we have the MMC, Hark Stappen. He has several POV chapters, though they are infrequent and short. He wasn’t bad, just unremarkable. There was a significant lack of chemistry between Arla and him. I was just waiting for a moment when I could begin to root for their romance, but it just never really clicked.

The plot is what showed the most promise for me. I thought some of the worldbuilding with hidden dragons and gods was fascinating, but the story leans away from it until the last third of the book. Instead, we’re left with Arla complaining about how much she hates Hark and how magic isn’t real for the thousandth time.

Overall, Dragonhart was not for me. If you’re searching for a cure for your Throne of Glass series hangover with dragons and a rage-filled FMC, you may enjoy it more.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I felt the immediate Thorn of Glass vibes and I wasn't feeling it. Felt like I needed more backstory than I got. I immediately didn't feel connected to the characters.

Really enjoyed this book overall dragonhart is a promising work with solid characters and a compelling plot perfect for romantasy lovers

I LOVED this. The story was a great mix of epic adventure, moving moments and quick wits. I loved that both the FMC and MMC were snarky, vicious and soft only for each other. The ‘who did this to you’ trope will always get me!

This would’ve been a 5 of not for a few things - but I’m nitpicking.:
1- The main issue was found in the first 20% or so of the book; how repetitive Arla was in stating her hatred of the other kingdom. As a reader, you start to feel taken for a fool and annoyed if you read 5 different times that the character hates X or Z. Once or twice was enough, we get it!

2- The pace was slow which didn’t bother me at all, but the ending felt quite rushed. The discovery in the undergrounds was only 1-2 pages, and the big speech at the end between the two MC felt a bit flat compared to the whole book…

I’m super excited for the next book and this one hasn’t even been published haha!

Had good ingredients strong female lead, action, hints of dragons, adventure. It was too much of a cozy read for me, light and without the depth and complexity of characters that I love. Might suit those looking for a light read romcom. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and One More Chapter for the eArc of Dragonhart

3.75⭐️/5

Overall I really enjoyed the story and it reminded me a little of Throne of Glass with the main character being a female assassin for the king but also struggling a little morally with the killing she carries out. The romance between the two main characters was enemies to lovers, which i always enjoy but sometimes in the beginning the mmc would annoy me with how he would regret the hurtful things he would say but then continue to say them. The world building was good but I wish there had been a but more explanation in the end but I don't want to include any spoilers.

A great debut for the fantasy / romantasy genre. Abbie Eaton has managed to pull together a cast of characters that will open up a great series.
Our FMC is strong and a clear leader from the start and never wavers from that character type. I also like that the author doesn’t turn her into a hidden magic wielder, even though she is really a hidden prophecy in her own right but it doesn’t take away anything of what she has achieved in her own right.
The romance between her and Hark is definitely one that leans on the love hate and creates some banter and sparks.
I’m not sure I’m a fan of the ending and maybe the Dragonhart element of the story is almost like an afterthought and felt like it had been woven in towards the end of writing or even editing…maybe this is where it will open up if it does become a series…who knows, but I do think whether it’s Dragonharts or Harks crew I’ll be looking out for future Abbie Eaton books and this series in particular

I received this book as an ARC and provide an honest review

I really enjoyed and had fun with this read! It reminded me so much of ToG and I love a strong and confident FMC and Arla was just that. I’m looking forward to reading more from Abbie and hopefully getting to experience more of Arla’s story!

This book was a full adventure and lesson in navigating tough situations as a woman in a man's world. I love that the fmc is so strong and has a huge emotional backstory.

✨𝓓𝓻𝓪𝓰𝓸𝓷𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓫𝔂 𝓐𝓫𝓫𝓲𝓮 𝓔𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓷 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀✨

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved Dragonhart! I thought the story was gripping.

I felt the pace was slow, which I usually like medium to fast, but I LOVED THIS I think it fit this book perfectly and allowed me to visualise and just go along with the journey. I loved the vibes of this book, just badass main characters that are cutthroat.

It has her and a little bit of his perspective, though it’s written in 3rd person.

Arla (FMC) & Hark (MMC) are both badass and I loved their snappy enemies moments. I did like how their romance developed. There were a handful of moments where I found the dialogue a lil out of character for Hark, he just sounded wayyy older than he actually is (he’s 22, Arla is 18 I think).

This book also has dragons, it’s more towards the end and we get one main dragon which gave me Tairn vibes from Fourth Wing so I really loved that! Dragons and Arla do communicate with each other so we get sassy dragon dialogue. Though can I just say, I don’t think this story is similar to fourth wing, yes it has dragons but the storyline is different.

I am looking forward how the story in the next book progresses, I don’t think this book ends on a cliffhanger & it has the potential for even more dragons to come up!!

𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒾𝓈 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉:

Arla Reinhart, personal assassin to the King of Hadalyn, doesn’t believe in the gods and their dragons who once served the people – not after they abandoned her when she needed them most. But when shipments start going missing and the kingdoms begin to crumble, they may be the only ones who can help.

Forced into working with the arrogant – yet unmistakably handsome –ambassador of the kingdom that killed her parents, Arla must place her hatred for Hark Stappen to one side as they journey across kingdoms, dining with royalty and fighting in taverns, and make an alarming discovery that shatters her heart and forces her to question everything – and everyone – she knows.

What to expect from Dragonhart:
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Forced proximity
✨FMC seeking revenge
✨Dragons
✨Magic

* I did receive this arc on NetGalley, thank you NetGalley & One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
**blurb taken from Harper Collins website.


Review post will be made today 14/03/2025 on Goodreads & Instagram (kglibrary)

The story features a very strong FMC who is the king’s only assassin and a MMC who is the king’s ambassador for the rival kingdom. FMC and MMC (enemies to lovers) must travel (forced proximity) to the distant border where deep secrets are soon revealed that change everything FMC has ever fought for.

I very much enjoyed this book, so much so that I wished it was longer so I could have gotten to know the characters on a deeper level. The plot was interesting - again wish it was longer. I think the blurb is a bit misleading though: “for fans of Fourth Wing and When the Moon Hatched” - there are better references that fit this book. Firstly, a hot tempered King’s assassin, this is Throne of Glass, specifically Assassin’s Blade. Literally this book is how Assassin's Blade should have been written. Secondly, comparing this to Fourth Wing is stretching; yes, there are dragons but they don’t appear or become significant until ~70%. When the dragons become more relevant, there definitely are some Fourth Wing similarities but the plot is far from Fourth Wing. Thirdly, not much to compare to When the Moon Hatched except for the presence of Dragons and a FMC who is very angry and wants justice/revenge. The best way to describe this book is Assassin’s Blade meets the dragon persona of Fourth Wing with a tiny dash of A Court of Mist and Fury. I was also surprised by the low spice level - thought after one of the chapters that there was going to be more 🌶️.

The book is mostly third person POV of FMC. There are a low number of chapters with MMC POV. The MMC POV chapters felt unnecessary and I would have liked to not have known how the MMC felt about FMC - kept it more of a slow burn.

As for the FMC, I always like a strong, fierce, independent woman. FMC is definitely that, although in the beginning it was hard to handle her arrogant, ‘I’m better than everyone’ attitude. She definitely needed a taste of humble pie. We ultimately liked her journey into finding herself and releasing that things aren’t always as they seem.

Overall really liked the book and would recommend to anyone that was a fan of Assassin’s Blade, specifically the ‘Pirate Lord’ novella.

Review and rating posted to Goodreads. Review and rating will be posted to Amazon and Instagram on release day.

Arla Reinhart has pulled herself up from the gutter to become the King's Assassin. Using her hatred for the evil kingdom that attacked hers, she's trained to become feared by all who see her. Except for Hark Stappen, ambassador to said evil kingdom, who seems to despise her more than anything. And unfortunately for the two of them, they are shoved together on a mission that could change Arla's view on magic, the gods, and her ability to love.

I had such high hopes for this!! I really enjoyed this book at the beginning; Arla was morally grey and reminded me so much of Aelin from Throne of Glass. However, around the 2/3 mark, she was softer and kept slipping up. She was said to be the best of the best, but couldn't tell when people were following her and was surprised at the "twists" the book made pretty clear would happen.
The dragons were hyped up for so much of the book, and we basically received an introduction, 10-ish pages of action (that included commentary from said dragon, but nothing else), and then the book ended. By the fact that it says this is book 1, I can see where Eaton had left it open for a sequel. However, the end of the book makes it seem like it's done. It's assumed that the bad guys can do no more harm, and all is right with the world. Hopefully if the series does continue, we'll get more into the world-building of the magic/gods that the whole book was centered on.
I absolutely LOVED the enemies part of the enemies-to-lovers, but it definitely ended too soon for my liking. But overall, the book was fine. Not at all like Fourth Wing, except for the existence of dragons, and slightly like Throne of Glass in the first 1/3 of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and One More Chapter for the eARC. Projected publishing date: April 18th, 2025

For a debut novel, this was pretty fun. pretty similar to other girl assassins falling for their counterpart over the course of an adventure but it still was entertaining to see through the bickering and snipes between Arla and Hark to their true feelings for each other and how they complement each other. Strong characters with, I would say, pretty good morals for assassins when they go after the true villain who is killing people for their magic. Add in the dragons (though they don't show up till the climax at the end to participate in the the rescue and storming of the castle). It is a good set up for a series that should be a fun read as I really want to see if Hark and Arla can change the world, bring back magic and the rest of the dragons, and keep their little corner of the world safe. Plus I want to see more of Hark's friends (who are strong and cool) and Arla's friend Halo. I want her to do my hair and nails. :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this new start to a series that I am looking forward to reading more of!