Although I devoured this book pretty quickly and overall enjoyed it, I have to admit that I don't think this book was quite ready for publication. While it's a fun read in general, it had a lot of glaring issues that I struggled to overlook.

Let's talk about the characters. We've got Keagen, a dragon shifter, who seeks out a magical object called the Crimson Shard to save his people from a disease that's killing them. Avalon is a sheltered princess who's encouraged by her mentor and father figure to pursue the Shard to help save the suffering people her real father, the king, ignores. Then, we've got a crew of thieves—Rowena, Zedock, and Malcolm—who seek the Crimson Shard to erase their debts.

Malcolm is perhaps the least likeable character I have ever encountered in my entire life. I found him to be slimy and selfish, and he was never redeemed in my eyes at any point. Now, maybe I'm going to sound like the friend who's too woke, but Zedock being a black male character who's apparently "known for" being stupid and violent is very questionable, in my opinion. Finally, the male characters were constantly looking at the female characters' hips and backsides. It was really distracting and kind of creepy to have that mentioned several times; it made me feel like those characters were weirdos instead of attractive or desirable.

I really wish this book had expanded on its worldbuilding, because I think it had the potential to be really interesting. However, the way it was done made it seem as though the author wasn't really sure what time period she wanted this book to be set in. First, the characters decide to travel somewhere by boat; okay, pretty standard for a fantasy novel. Then, they discuss boarding an aeroship once they reach their destination; pretty cool and not something I typically see! But wait, then the other characters are talking about traveling using an...automobile? But then they settle on using horses instead? I think this could work just fine if any of it was further elaborated on, but it wasn't.

Now, one of the main things that stood out to me from the very start is that this book seems to take bits and pieces from other books and games.

For example, the thieving crew and heist feels very, very much like Six of Crows, with the city of Vicerona sounding almost exactly like Ketterdam. Malcolm and Zedock come from a place called Kerizan, which sounds shockingly like Keramzin to me, a place also from the Grishaverse.

But that's not at all. I immediately noticed a lot of names and places from World of Warcraft. For example, this series is called Dragonflight, which is the name of a recent WoW expansion. But it also has a city called Undercity (just like WoW) and a place called Alestraza, which is shockingly similar to the World of Warcraft character named Alexstrasza—who just happens to be a dragon and a main character in Dragonflight. While we're talking about game references, the author also seemed to nab the word Dovahkiin from Skyrim/The Elder Scrolls, which means Dragonborn in that world. These could just be coincidental, I suppose, but they seemed way too specific to be, in my opinion.

I really struggle to understand why this book is marketed as slow burn, because that could not be farther from the truth. Within 2-3 days of meeting, these characters were supposedly "in love." Meanwhile, two other characters randomly "decided to be together" without actually having that conversation on screen, despite the fact that one half of that relationship was romantically interested in someone else for years. But all of the sudden, they want to be with this other person? And we don't even get to see a discussion about it?

What bothered me the absolute most about this book, though, is the very obvious lack of editing. There were so many dangling modifiers, inconsistencies, punctuation issues, and insanely unrealistic dialogue.

The unrealistic dialogue was the biggest issue to me. The characters didn't really use contractions in their speech, which comes off as extremely stilted and unnatural. Then, there were bits of dialogue like, "Stay here. No matter what you hear, keep everyone here." See how unrealistic that sounds, with here/hear being repeated that many times in just two sentences?

This book was absolutely filled with inconsistencies. There was one paragraph that contained both "cannot" and "can not" almost back to back in the same context. There was a place called Toezan, but there was one instance just a couple of pages apart where it was spelled both "Toezan" and "Tozeon."

Listen, I promise I really did enjoy this book overall, though I don't think I would continue the series. But I believe it could have really benefited from several rounds of intensive editing to resolve all of the above issues. These are problems I would expect in a fanfiction or story posted online, but certainly not in a published novel.

After some debate, I rated this book 2 stars out of 5. I would have given it 3, but I found myself thinking about and noticing all of the errors and issues more than the actual plot and events of the book.

Unbound centers around a group of characters, each on a quest for the Crimson Shard. The story splits into two main storylines: one follows a group of thieves, including a blood witch, who are after the Shard for personal gain, while the other follows a princess, Avalon (Ava), and a dragon shifter, Keagan, as they search for the Shard to stop a plague threatening dragon shifters. While I appreciated the dual plots and multiple points of view, I found myself more invested in Ava and Keagan’s evolving romance, particularly their enemies-to-lovers dynamic. I enjoyed the slow-burn tension between them, though I do wish their relationship had been given more room to develop—towards the end of the book, their romance felt rushed and unrealistic.

That said, the story had its flaws. The pacing was uneven, and the plot felt a bit too convenient at times. Several plot points, especially involving Ava’s character and her struggles, seemed to lack depth. While her relationship with her father was mentioned, it didn’t feel like a central conflict, even though it was supposed to shape her journey. Additionally, I found myself wishing for more world-building. The stakes of the quest and the reasons behind the characters’ motivations didn’t always feel fleshed out enough, leaving some of the plot points feeling too simplistic.

One thing I did enjoy, though, was the diverse cast of characters. The thieves, including the blood witch, added an interesting dynamic, though I didn’t feel as connected to their storylines as I did with Ava and Keagan. Still, the multiple POVs allowed for a more rounded view of the story and the different characters' perspectives, even if I wished some threads had been developed more.

In the end, Unbound was an ok read, but it didn’t fully captivate me. While the romance between Ava and Keagan had potential, the lack of world-building and the occasional reliance on convenient plot points made it harder for me to get fully invested. It’s a good start, and I’m curious to see how the series progresses, but I would have liked to see more depth in both the characters and the world they inhabit.

I received an ARC of Unbound by Brittany Gossin from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Witches and dragons and crooks, oh my! This book is brilliant for those chasing a similar vibe and feel to Six of Crows with a tiny dash of Stardust. With kingdoms and underworlds, witches and pirates (of both sea and sky!), quests, dragons, and secrets, there’s something for everybody in this book. The world building is super easy to get your head around which means rather than learning a complex magic system you can get stuck straight in with the story. It’s chock full of found family and forced proximity with a sprinkle of only one bed and dash of forbidden romance (think princess to a kingdom falling for the exact species daddy dearest labels as the absolute enemy and threat to the kingdom). I loved the individual POV’s that really help you fall in love with every character in this novel and it’s set up the start of the series very well with intrigue as to where the story can go next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

La historia sigue a cinco personajes principales, cuyas vidas se entrelazan en la búsqueda de un artefacto mítico: el Cristal Escarlata, una reliquia que otorga a su poseedor el poder de cumplir cualquier deseo.

Keagan Ragnor, un cambiante de dragón que lucha por salvar a su familia de una plaga mortal. En su camino, debe atravesar un peligroso muro que separa su tierra de la amenaza que acecha desde el norte.
Avalon Tremaine, una princesa que se niega a aceptar su destino de un matrimonio forzado, ve en el Cristal Escarlata su única oportunidad para cambiar su futuro.
El trío de criminales Malcolm Thorpe, Rowena Blackridge** y Zedock Cannon también luchan por obtener el cristal para borrar sus deudas y asegurar su supervivencia.




La historia es entretenida, corta, con toques de romance, con magia y dragones.





Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fuckkkkkkkk
I didn’t even make it 25% through this arc before I was off buying a limited hardback from the author for $70 😂
I don’t even care! Take my money!
I need the second book now

It’s like Six of Crows + plus dragon shifters + carrion MMC (banter and looks but a dragon) + and imagine Dorian’s personality but a short blonde chick as the FMC

I’m still reeling from all the twists and the battle scenes.
This book is gonna screw with your emotions

Netgalley arc.
This is my first dragon shifter book and I love it. The fantasy and story is a great and easy read, the story delivered through 5 diff main characters, it can be confusing for me until few chapters in and I get use to it. I enjoy every element, the fight, the romance and all its exciting

This book was AMAZING. The relationships, the spice, the magic system… SO GOOD. At first, I was a little confused by all the different point-of-views, but I got into it quickly! Can’t wait for book 2!

Unbound was a super fun adventure! We follow 5 main characters - a gang of thieves, a princess, and a dragon shifter, who are all after a relic known as the Crimson Shard. This relic will give its user the power to accomplish anything they want. Each of our characters has different motivations for seeking out the shard.
With our gang of thieves we have a story of friendship and the princess and dragon shifter give us a nice romance. The romance was a bit instalovey but I really enjoyed it, Keagan and Avalon’s chapters were my favorite!
The book was fairly short and full of action and didn’t slow down at any point! I really enjoyed this story from start to finish. I can’t wait to revisit this world for book 2!

Such a fun read... a breath of fresh air

I began reading this book with some doubt, as it was my first ARC and I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was ultimately amazed. I loved the author's writing style. While this is a third-person, multiple-POV book, and I tend to prefer first-person perspective, this book changed my mind. The third-person point of view effectively differentiated the characters' dialogue from their internal feelings and served the story beautifully. The author's ability to immerse the reader in this universe is unique, and the plot was unlike anything I've read, despite addressing familiar themes. I fell in love with every character and was able to empathize with their emotions. The spicy scenes are well-executed and never excessive. I adored how the banter between the characters was developed and how it led to the spicy scenes without making them predictable. I appreciated the plot twists, even though I anticipated some of them; however, this didn't diminish my enjoyment in any way. Highly recommended, especially for those whose English is not their first language, as it's a very easy read.

First I would like to thank NetGalley and Brittany Gossin for giving me to opportunity to ARC read this book. This is my honest review of the book and should not change or deter your thoughts on reading this book.

Things to note:
-This is an adult fantasy book
- there are quite 'colorful' words used throughout the book that may not be your cup of tea.

My thoughts:

The storyline of this book is fantastic, we follow multiple POV's and discover new creatures unique to this book - such as the dragon and their way of shifting. While I only rated this book 3 stars I do not think the book itself has a bad storyline, if you like a spice heavy book this might just be for you! I personally enjoy spice in my fantasy books without it heavily influencing the plot. The characters are likeable enough and each have uniqueness about them. Overall, the writing style is not my cup of tea but that doesn't make the writing itself bad.

I should have liked this more than I did. It had all kinds of things I like in my books including dragon shifters, romance, betrayal, magic, etc. But for me, it just didn't work. And while I finished it, I kind of didn't want to.

The first time I got annoyed with the book was when I came across a well-known word from the game, Skyrim.

Then there was the FMC. While I liked her overall, she was told more than once to tell the MMC the truth by different people and that he would understand, but she never did.

Then there was the big reveal and you're left wondering how her father would have put up with it? There's just loads of questions that don't make sense.

Despite all of that, the book is just really predictable in a lot of ways. The big reveal was obvious, the betrayal was obvious, etc. I'm usually okay with this when I'm reading easier books, but this one just wasn't for me.

2.5 stars

Rating 4/5 ⭐️
Spice 3/5 🌶️

“If you let the ghosts of your past control your present, you’ll never reach your future.”

Unbound by Brittany Gossin is book 1 in the Dragonflight series and it did not disappoint!

I am still silently sobbing over here in the corner processing the emotional trauma this just put me through 😭 but for real though I need the next book ASAP!

This does have multiple POV’s but it adds to the development of the plot and the world as a whole. You need them all to help you see the bigger picture. We meet Avalon (a sheltered princess), Keegan (a dragon trying to save his family), Malcolm (a class clown thief), Rowena (a traumatized blood witch), and Zedoc (a hulking loyal friend). All going after the same thing and each with their own reason.

Brittany does an amazing job building this world, setting the scene, and developing these characters that you just can’t help but get lost in it. I cannot even choose who my favorite is but Rowena has my ❤️. I thought she had the most character development and I cannot wait to see her continue to grow and flourish! I really really hope Malcom gets his own book in the series 🤞🏻

This book really has it all. A stabby FMC, dragons, witches, oppressive government, found family, protective MMC, and comedic relief. Seriously go read it! Available on KU now and she has preorders available on her site if you want a beautiful special edition copy! (Where I am headed right now to get my trophy copy)!

Unbound: dragonflight book 1. Witches, criminals, dragon shifters and a princess who are all after one thing, the shard…

This book is a unique and gripping story about five main characters, I did worry that this would get confusing but surprisingly it was easy to keep up. I liked how over the course of the book each POVs story and adventure interlinked with each others. This was done in a very well presented way and I particularly enjoyed this aspect.
I loved the found family aspects of this book with the MCs (particularly Rowena) easy to love and love their adventure of finding allies, love, trust and the benefit of taking risks.

This is a fun fast paced read and if you liked six of crows you will eat this up.

I was so intrigued by the description that I find myself sorely disappointed in the result.
This heist-with-dragons book unfortunately lacks what makes books great - the build up...the tension...the camaraderie...and instead has insta-love, obvious villains, and characters and plot points of convenience.

The spoiled princess is without conflict. Her father, the king, does neglect her but she's in her early 20's now and states several times she has a father-figure in her life that cares a great deal about her. I know it's not the same, but seriously girl....get a grip. She's also terrible at any type of sneaking around, which absolutely drove me crazy (seriously, please stop joking about dragons when it could get your ally executed...and let's NOT start a drinking competition with a DRAGON that's a foot taller than you when you're on the run).

Every plot point just felt like a clear stepping stone for the characters to achieve their goal. There wasn't enough friction to make this seem like it was an actual challenge or difficult by any means. Everything just conveniently lines up.

Without the spice, this book would be great for pre-teens and young teens to dip their toes in to fantasy. I would have actually preferred no spice, as it felt like it was written purely to force Ava and Keagan together (insta-love). Unfortunately this book just missed all the marks for me.

This books flirts the line between 4.5 and 5 stars but ultimately it kept my attention and had a good mix of everything. Excited for book 2!!!

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: romantasy
Plot: slow burn romance with a fantasy core of blood witches and dragon shifters
Emotion: 🧡/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Summary: set in a world of disease, oppression, and a tyrant king, a Crimson Shard holding ultimate power could right all the wrongs. But in the wrong hands, it could doom them all. Follow the journey of a fleeing princess, suppressed dragon shifter, and syndicate trio of thieves as they push to be the first to steal the Shard from the notoriously dangerous Blood Witches!

This is a multiPOV plot with predominately 3 storylines:

(1) Dragon shifters: this was probably my favorite storyline. The dragon shifters background / heritage was fascinating to learn. My only negatives about the MMC are his (1) appearance and (2) lack of knowledge at times. His dragon skills make him extremely perceptive but was really out of touch on what the world has to offer - not surprising given his oppression - but it made him a little less desirable.

(2) The princess: she’s a badass, knows how to fight, is intelligent, and her purpose is admirable. There’s not much to not like about her. Her background is typical for a princess whose father cares more about power/succession rather than the wants and wellbeing of his daughter. She did have me fuming at times.

(3) The syndicate: I didn’t really care about for most of the book, and often found myself disappointed when their POV chapters were up. Not that their storyline was bad, it just was my least favorite comparably. I will say, the syndicate had strong Six of Crows vibes but with vulgarity which I appreciated.

Takeaway: if you liked Six of Crows but wish it had more 🌶️ romance - give this a try. If you’re in your dragon era and really want a book heavy on the dragon side, this might not be the book for you. Dragon shifters are a component of the book but due to their oppression it’s not a huge component (not comparable to Fourth Wing). This is multi-POV following 2 to 3 storylines that don’t always overlap so if you get overwhelmed by multiple concurrent plots, be warned, but also still give it a try - it’s not overly complex to follow.

Review and rating is posted on Goodreads. Social media posting will occur on April 15.

Fast paced and loveable characters! The storyline is detailed and holds your attention. All the characters are in their mid to late twenties and have been through some things which makes the characters more relatable and enjoyable when reading NA.

Even though we have trigger warnings I’d still call this a cozy read 😅 I say that because the world building is not in-depth and can easily be followed, the characters were easy to understand, the dialogue, espionage and romance is all on the surface and not hard to connect. I also loved the banter and donkeys 😆.

Recommend this to those that need a great read after a book hangover.

Thank you NetGalley and Brittany Gossin for giving me an ARC of your book Unbound! This review is my own honest opinion.

This was a great first book in the series, with so many wonderful fantasy elements that readers love! There is a princess that gets betrothed against her will that is a badass in her own right, dragonshifters, blood witches, magic and betrayal, and a group of thieves. There are twists and turns, forbidden love, humor, secret identities, adventure and action.

The main characters are well written and the reader is able to see the story unfold from each different perspective. You will celebrate their successes, feel their fears and hatred, and feel the warm and fuzzies as they fall in love. The story is paced quickly and kept me drawn in with every page turned. Gossin is a great world builder describing each scene wonderfully so I felt like I was walking through a quaint small town or soaring in the sky on a steampunk ship.

I can’t wait to see where this series heads next!

Unbound was a fun, fast-paced and action packed read that I just could not put down.

dragon shifters
blood witches
a heist
stabby fmc
one-bed trope
steampunk setting
double romance

There is SO much about this book to love. As always, I was nervous when I saw this book was multiple POVs but Brittany Gossin made sure every 👏 single 👏 character 👏 was intriguing and never fell flat.

Ava and Keagan were the perfect companions for each other, and I love how their mission intertwined with the syndicate. This was an absolute riot and I already can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you for approving me for this ARC! Based on the blurb, I was very excited to read this. However, once I opened the book there were trigger warnings listed at the beginning. I would not have requested this had I known one of the trigger warnings was “explicit on page SA”. Due to this, I won’t be reading this book.