Dragonfall

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this title, in exchange for this honest review.

A queernorm world with incredible worldbuilding and a great story to dive into. I loved the characters, their dynamics and how they evolved over the course of the book, including the growing romantic attraction between the two main characters, and of course, the dragons! Furthermore, the book has an incredibly interesting narration and uses a mix of first, second and third person, which is something I personally really love, especially in fantasy books and I found it was very well executed in this book.

Overall I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it to other people who love queer fantasy and dragons!

I’m incredibly excited for the next installment of this story!

I really enjoyed this book and I can see why the author calls it a spiritual follow up to their Pantomime trilogy. There was an interresting world building (would have loved to know a bit more about the magic system, but there is 2 more books to come) especially when it came to how gender was delt with. As a genderfluid person, I really enjoyed Arcady being a shapeshifter. It did took me a few chatper to get into the rhythm of the narrative but once I got there it did flow really naturally (did made me really worried for Everen however).

the first couple of chapters are a tad clunky and heavy on the infobuilding, but this is case with many fantasys, and once you are past that. oh wow. I loved the magic system, it was different to many others i read and i really enjoyed that, but i also liked it wasnt front and foremost in this book. It was accepted this is what magic is, and that is that.
It is a very different writing style so i can see that being hit or miss, but for me it clicked, and the style makes sense once you get to the end and bawl your eyes out.
The romance in this as well - beautofully done and i would ride or die for these characters, their development is amazing and you really feel you come to know them by the end.
overall, its queer, its got dragons, its got romance and its emotional in so many ways. 100% pick up this book

So original and gripping. Dragonfall was one of my most anticipated reads and I am so glad I could read it early. L.R. Lam is exceptionally talented and I will be recommending this to all my friends

5 stars

Dragonfall is easily the best book I've read so far this year. The story draws you in with the phenomenal writing and fast-paced plot. It's enemies to lovers, featuring a human and a dragon and it's oh-so delightfully queer. Diving into the story, I felt that much sought-after reader's bliss. The moment you read the first page and you know that this story is going to be a special one. One that will stay with you for a long time. I always have a terrible time writing reviews for books I love, so bear with me.

The worldbuilding is lush and I was especially intrigued by the dragon realm and its mythologies. I loved the narrative style adopted for the dragon's POV. The payoff is wonderful, and I hope the same style is adopted for the sequels, though I'm not sure considering where lam chooses to take the story next. I loved how it mirrored the prophetic nature of dragon kind in this book and came to such an emotional close at the end. The narrative style might also be the reason why I found the dragon's chapters so much more fun to read than the human's, unlike other reviewers. One thing is obvious, L. R. Lam can WRITE. This is the first book I've read by them and will probably not be the last. The story flows so effortlessly, I found myself immersed in reading it for hours on end. For a genre as over-saturated as epic fantasy, Dragonfall stands tall and distinct with the phenomenal slow burn and well-explained magic system.

I was surprised to see how big of a part the romance played in the book. Like I knew there would be a romance since I'd read the blurb, but the romance seemed to take up a pretty large chunk of the plot. So readers who are looking for less romance in their epic fantasy might not like it. I actually loved the romance. The build-up was torturously slow, but it made the payoff and the angst even better. Since this is the first book of a trilogy, I expect the romance was focused to build up the rest of the books on it.

The characters were also all pretty well written. While we primarily follow the dragon's and the human's POVs, both of which were engaging in their own ways, we also have a smattering of chapters from a warrior priest called Sorin and the dragon's sister Cassia. While they were sparse and few, I loved how the author developed Sorin's character and I am excited about what role she ends up playing in future books. At the end of the book, I don't know who I felt more sorry for Arcady (the human) or Everen (the dragon). I was obviously rooting for both of them but this book ends on a MASSIVE cliffhanger, I don't know how I'm supposed to wait for the next book because finishing this book felt like emerging out of a pool after nearly drowning.

Dragonfall is a submersive, atmospheric epic fantasy with high stakes, slow burn, and gorgeous writing. Come for the dragons, stay for the gay pining. Storytelling at its best.

Dragonfall comes out 2nd May 2023. Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder&Stroughton for sending me an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The review goes live on my blog 05/03/23.

An absorbing start to a new fantasy trilogy- I really enjoyed this new take on dragons. Strongly reminiscent of Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders series in terms of emphasis on the relationship between humans, dragons and the natural world, Lam uses their talent for making sharp, flawed and compelling characters to open up the world for us and draw us in to the story.

I loved it and can’t wait for the next instalment- highly recommended!

This took me a little longer than usual to get into, but once I was I was hooked! I love the main characters so much. The world building was great. For me it felt the take on dragons in this story was very unique as well as the magic system. I need a physical copy of this asap and I can’t wait for the sequel!

I absolutely loved this, the story was very fascinating and kept me on the edge of my seat more than I thought it would and the world building was amazing

I'm obsessed with this book and can't stop thinking about it. It's a good thing it's a series so I will eventually have other books like it to read. When a dragon falls through the barrier that separates him from humankind, well... no spoilers but from there, it gets riveting.

This was a book I didn’t know I NEEDED to read! It drew me in and I was captivated almost right away.

It’s been a while since I’ve had the pleasure of reading a multiple POV story in first person. I am writing this just as I have finished the last chapter and I think I will be reading and craving the second instalment for quite some time to come!

This is a story of an unlikely forced bond, both have secrets, both parties have their ulterior motives however they find themselves coming together in ways they do not expect.

The book is full of dragons, artefacts, many different manners of magic, friendship, growth, betrayal and so much more. Trust is gained, trust is lost and the ending while not quite a happy one, has left me needing more answers.

I have this book already on pre-order but if I didn’t I would be ordering now!

A big thank you to the author, the publishers and of course Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Combine a brimming fantasy world, dragons and a heist and you get DRAGONFALL as a result.

Filled with high stakes, adventure, tension, this book kept me on edge until the very last page. Such a promising start to a series, with so many opportunities to character developement, expanding the world. The ever changing POV's make the storyline/perspective really interesting - never have I ever read something like this before, but I must admit, after a few confusing chapters I was really into it!

I really enjoyed the queer rep in this book, how easily it fit to this fantasy setting! All in all, it was a pleasant read for me ( I can easily obsess over Everen and Arcady and everything they do!!!). Cannot wait for more!!

Thank you so much Hodder and Stougton for providing this ARC !

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC!

AHHHHHHHH sexy dragon gender queer magic bonds betrayals family trauma ancient secrets !!!!!!!! Literally what else could you ask for?? I read this in a day. Then I immediately went to preorder it because a) I love it and b) it comes with extra stuff which is always exciting. This is, perhaps, my dream book. Part of me is vindictively angry that I didn't write it, but I can't be that mad because I loved reading it. I am already so psyched for the rest of the series!!! I need to know what happens!!!

That being said, the ending was still really well resolved which I appreciate. I'm not a big fan of books in a series ending with a massive cliffhanger or no answers because that's frustrating. Dragonfall ended by giving me a decent conclusion for the immediate events that happened but not the ongoing goals/quests of the characters.

Speaking of characters: I loved them. Arcady and Everen are my absolute favorites. My favorite chapters might have been Everen's because I like him and I also like the way he talks about Arcady. Cassia is my third favorite because she is a dragon and a lot of her stuff has to do with Everen as well. Cassia chapters always make me feel like I need to put on my detective hat to connect threads. Sorin was my least favorite, but I do still like her. It's more because I personally have less interest in her acolyte archetype than the others, so it has nothing to do with the writing and everything to do with me.

Plus I love tension and sexual energy and that stuff is riveting between Arcady and Everen. I- ugh. No spoilers, but it's my favorite kind of spice. I was literally reading parts with bated breath.

The concept of gender in the books is so good as well. It's groundbreaking without being groundbreaking somehow. If you're part of the alphabet mafia or just read and examined a lot about gender, the way it's portrayed in Dragonfall makes perfect sense and isn't surprising as an idea. However, it's so new to see it actually used in a story. It's excellent, it's wonderful, it healed little cracks in my heart, and Arcady is perfect.

There's even more I could say about this book but I'd be getting into spoiler territory and I don't want to do that, so you'll have to read it yourself to know what I'm talking about. Also, when I went to bed after reading this, I dreamed about dragons.

Dragon shifters, enemies to lovers, twist and turns….I loved them all!

High fantasy has had a refresh in Dragonfall and I loved every page. The characters of Arcady and Everen are a fresh take on the enemies to lovers trope and their relationship is beautiful and complex. I found the different POVs and tenses exciting and well matched to the characters. Simply, I adored this book and cannot wait for the second in the series!

Such an amazing book! I loved every moment of it. 5/5 stars easily

The world is very interesting and unique. Story is nicely paced and always interesting. Mysteries slowly reveal themselves. Characters are well developed and so likable. The book wraps up nicely, finishing this part of story and leaving you wanting more now without cliffhangers.

I can't wait for the next book!

As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I needed it! Dragons, epic fantasy, queer representation and pining romance - it was ticking all my boxes. I had high expectations, and I must say, I was not disappointed. I absolutely adored this book!

Admittedly, I found the writing style a little challenging at first. It took me longer than usual to fully immerse myself in the story, but by around 20% in, I started to feel the magic of the writing.

The book certainly delivers on the sweeping high fantasy front, but what surprised me were the cozy elements that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard at times. It's hard to put my finger on, but I also got a Robin Hobb-esque vibe from the book, and as a huge Robin Hobb fan, that's high praise indeed.

One of the things that really stood out to me was the queernorm world and the world building It was exceptional, but I have to admit that it did take a bit of effort to get into it. The first 20% of the book is pretty intense, with a lot of world-building and narration, but trust me when I say it's worth it. Once I got lost in the immersive writing style, I couldn't put the book down.

As if the mythology of the Dragon world and the side stories weren't enough, the author throws in a heist, one of my absolute favourite things in any book. Thank you, L R Lam, for making this reader so happy.

I wasn't expecting the romance to be such a significant part of the book, but it really is, Of course, I understand that not everyone will enjoy this aspect of the book, but personally, I thought it was chefs kiss.

The characters in the book are so well written, and I mean really well written. We get to see what they're thinking and feeling, and I absolutely adored Arcady and Everen. However, the side characters are equally excellent, and I hope we get to see more of them as the series progresses. I especially appreciated the gender fluid main character and the fantastic conversations and discussions about gender in this book.

As I read on, I found myself dreading that as part of a series, the book would end on a massive cliffhanger, leaving me heartbroken and pining for book two. While there are still some unanswered questions, I thought the ending was resolved very well, which is another reason I think cozy fantasy lovers will be in to this one.

Be prepared to fall in love with this book. It's full of betrayal, revenge, and so much love, and it's epic with twists and turns that will make you want to fling things!

I've been excited about this since it was announced (as I've read almost everything else from this author, and I love dragons) so I was thrilled my ARC request was approved. and I was right to be excited! I love a good long fantasy epic and this delivered on all fronts: multiple POVs, interesting world building, engaging characters, a building plot, twists and turns... all resulting in a solid first book setting up for more. that's not to say a lot of things are left unresolved, but that while the Big Events in this book were tied up, there is definitely more to come, and I'm excited for it.

I loved Everen and Arcady and how their relationship developed (back and forth and up and down, there wasn't anything linear about it). Sorin I was less keen on, I think mainly because she didn't have as many POV scenes as Everen and Arcady, and because she's trapped in an abusive (non-sexual) relationship with her mentor, and it was painful to watch. Still, she has a strong will and I'm sure in future books to come she'll come into her own right. Also! I have to say! Magnes! I saw that coming but it's no less delicious for it.

all in all this book delivers a trademark L.R. Lam book, combining all the elements I love best from her previous books in an epic package.

I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

Perfect magical and captivating epic fantasy
A thief with mysterious ancestors trying to finally rise from poverty. A dragon, the last of his kind, who finds himself trapped in the human world. When they are forced to work together, they form an unlikely team – any they actually have no clue what the other one actually is…
“Dragonfall” is a magical and captivating epic fantasy that drew me in right from the start. The world building was fascinating, especially if you have a soft side for dragons. But I particularly loved the two main characters: They are so different from each other, and not just because one is human and the other one a dragon, and they should not be good at working together. I loved following the development of their relationship as much as the progress of their “project”.
If you are looking to dive into a new epic fantasy (it’s the first book in a trilogy) that excels at bringing together a rich and exciting plot and a beautiful well-written love story, Dragonfall is simply perfect for you. I can’t wait to find out how this story continues!