Unfortunately this book did not work for me. I was excited by the title, cover, and concept but once I started reading it felt like I had read it a thousand times before. Romantasy books are unfortunately all starting to blend together and feel the same. There wasn't anything wrong with this one, it just didn't feel like anything new, and I'm starting to think maybe romantasy isn't my genre anymore Romantasy girlies will probably really love it. Just wasn't for me.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Harper Collin’s UK, One More Chapter, and Abbie Eaton for the chance to read an ARC of Dragonhart!

The summary of this book was so intriguing to me, I was thrilled to be able to read this book! It screamed epic fantasy to me.

Arla, the main character, was an interesting one. The young Kings assassin had a tortured past and rose above her adversity to make a life for herself. Not an easy one, but it was what she wanted and worked herself to the literal bone for. She was tough, ruthless, a bit vain, and very strong willed. She absolutely did not tolerate things she disagreed with, which I respected about her. The only thing I didn’t like about her was how she could be very mean spirited when she was upset. But I get it I guess.
Hark, her rival. I liked him too. He also had a mean streak when he was upset, which eventually made them a perfect match. His secrets eventually came to light and what secrets they were ! I liked his loyalty and how he unflinchingly defended those he loved.
The plot was interesting too. Two rival kingdoms. Two people beyond loyal to each of these kingdoms. A hatred born out of misunderstanding and past prejudices. Secrets that are slowly uncovered, turning these enemies into reluctant allies and then more. A perfect plot. With evil kings, betrayals, secret magic, and eventually dragons. What else could you want?

Pick up this fantastic book and see for yourself.

If you love dragons, you will not be disappointed. Such a gripping and inspiring fantasy debut for fans of YA or young readers who are looking to find their voice in a book.
It’s so exciting to have such beautiful writing accessible to a younger audience, establishing well loved tropes in an age appropriate manner.

Thank you net galley for this book.
This was a fantastic read, it had me pulled in from the start. I do love a kickass assassin MFC. The world building was fab, characters were awesome and the enemies to lovers wasn’t drawn out over many books! Also DRAGONS 🐉 I very much look forward to continuing this series, I’m very glad this didn’t end of a cliffhanger.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 3 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I couldn't put this book down – absolutely loved it.

I have definitely read better fantasy books, but this one was okay. Nothing to get too excited for though.

This book can’t decide if it wants to be a stand alone or a series. Not enough world building or character development for me to care about any of our main characters. The romance is described as forced proximity but could just be described as forced period. The plot twist was one of the most obvious plot twists I’ve ever read. Started getting good at 70% if you’re a fan of fourth wing and dragons sassing their riders through a telepathic bond. I would consider reading the next book but only for the dragons.

First of all thank you NetGalley and one more chapter for this arc. I really enjoyed this book! If you’re looking for magic and dragons this book is definitely for you.

If you are a fan of throne of glass and fourth wing you will enjoy this book.

It’s got everything you could want. Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, FMC out for revenge, magic and dragons. I really enjoyed the characters of Arla and hark. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to you saying please. Especially when the next time I expect to hear that word is when you’re begging me to touch you”

Dragonhart by debut author Abbie Eaton, published by Harper Collins UK / One More Chapter is the first book in the Dragonhart Series.
I read the blurb and Dragons!!! yes, sign me up.
I started reading and was confused pretty quick. Arla, her dragon Thara, and her mate?? Hark. The writing is kind of poetic, old fashioned, fitting for the storyline. A bit confusing, not easy to connect with characters, 3,5 stars.

Not going to lie I had high hopes for this book. However, I just can't support a copy and paste of others' work. This is essentially a copy of Throne of Glass. Not cool.

As of this moment in time I won’t be completing the book,

There is too much copying from throne of glass going on for my liking, I was hoping for a fantasy book with a new take and a bit more originality.

Perhaps at some point I’ll come back to give it a second chance, if that ever happens I’ll update my thoughts here!

This one was unfortunately not for me, I found problems with the pacing and lack of world building.
I also felt the “enemies” part unbelievable. We got a short explanation of why she hated him but I just didn’t believe it enough.

I believe this still might be suited to some people who are more romance lovers who like a fantasy setting but I personally just like a bit more.

pretty good romantasy with a vicious, badass, FMC and a seemingly arrogant, jerk with a heart of gold, ambassador MMC. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've read almost 20%, and so far, not much has happened. The chapters are long, and the FMC is mostly just irritated, unwilling to do things, and swearing a lot. There hasn't been any action yet, and honestly, I already have no idea what I've read. The story sounded really promising, but I didn’t continue reading. Sorry, but this book isn't for me. Maybe someone else will enjoy it more.

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!