I loved this narrator and she was the perfect choice for this story. Sometimes I struggle with audiobooks but I was so engaged with this narrator the entire time. It was the perfect performance of this really beautiful story crafted by Isabel Ibanez. I've never heard any other story like this and I loved the story of strength and triumph in the face of some very scary opponents. I was hooked on the mystery of it all from the very beginning and the pacing was so good. As soon as I caught my breath, there was something new happening.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillain Audio for an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

I mean, first of all, flamenco dancing and dragon taming?! What more do you even need to hear? This book was so absolutely rich in culture, and I couldn't get enough of that. It made me feel as though I was in medieval Spain myself. Even the chapter titles themselves were in Spanish. Everything really just pointed you back to Spain, and I adored it. The incorporation of flamenco and the way that Zarela had such love and life for it was beautiful. The way that it developed along with her and helped show her who she wanted to be was absolutely amazing.

And don't get me started on the romance! I loved the way this was sorta enemies to lovers but was also sweet and soft. Zarela also was strong before the romance and didn't need anyone to save her, and I loved how refreshing that was, especially for a woman in medieval Spain.

The narrator was amazing at switching between English and Spanish and making it absolutely seamless. I really enjoyed listening to her and getting immersed in her words!

I did feel like I was a tad bored around the middle and wanted more action, and I also ended up projecting who the villain would be from the first page they were introduced.

If you like fantasy, check this book out for sure! It is such a rich book, and you will not want to miss it!

3.5 stars

Zarela, the m.c., of this novel that for me reads more like New Adult than Young Adult, is in a challenging predicament. When her father no longer can, she is left with having to support the family and keep the family business (humans vs. dragons!) alive. She's sad and she's not trained, but she definitely has the will of any great heroine, and she puts it to good use.

I've really enjoyed Ibanez's previous novels (this is my third), and while this was a great listen (I opted for the audio book), the kind of description and adventure I'm used to from earlier installments just didn't come through as powerfully for me here. This felt a bit too predictable, and I found the romance tedious at times. Also, when there are animals involved, and readers have to pick a human or animal side, I'm just never going to be able to root for the human characters. Early in the book, this happened, and I think my perceptions about what kind of people some of these characters were just kept me feeling judgy throughout.

These minor gripes noted, I was entertained enough to listen to the whole book in less than a day and will continue to excitedly seek Ibanez's work. She creates lush and intriguing worlds, and this is no exception.