Source: DRC via NetGalley (DAW Books) in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: May 2, 2023
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

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Why did I choose to read this book?

I’ve never read anything by this author, so when it popped onto the first page of Most Requested on NetGalley, I decided to give it a go to expand my repertoire.

What is this book about?

The dragons were cast out of the world into a pocket universe, and a prophecy is close to becoming fulfilled that says they will return and reclaim the land as their own. The dragon the prophecy revolves around (Everen) discovers the prophecy, read it, and then tries to run and fulfill it himself, but he falls through a rip in the veil and becomes bonded to Arcady, a shapeshifter whose grandfather was accused of something terrible and he seeks to clear his name. The book follows their bonding, Everen’s attempts to fulfill the prophecy, and Arcady’s big caper which should net them enough money to go to the university and learn all they need to know to clear their family name.

This book is about the bonds we form when we don’t have a choice, and how we discover if those bonds are true or simply forced.

What is notable about this story?

The gender bending and pronoun emphasis throughout the story was handled much differently than I’ve seen it in any other book. About halfway through I realized that I didn’t really know who was any gender and at that point it didn’t really matter, it was just about the characters. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love a story that does not attach trauma to things like gender identity and instead incorporates it as a normal part of society, and L. R. Lam does this so well.

Was anything not so great?

I have said this about Sarah J. Maas’ work (i.e. the idea of someone only having one Mate/forced to bond or be together) and I’ll say it here: the idea that Everen and Arcady are chained together throughout the book made me very uncomfortable. That Arcady steals Everen’s magic and causes him pain, that they are attracted to each other but not sure if it’s the bond or if they are actually hot for each other, that Everen is a dragon and the cross-species physicality of it is weird…just all very uncomfortable. I think the heart of all of this is the idea of consent. Neither Arcady nor Everen chose to forge this bond, and their actions toward each other are harmful by default, so it was just kind of cringy. Not so much that I didn’t want to read it, but enough to comment on it.

What’s the verdict?

3 stars on Goodreads. I liked it, but I didn’t need it. I will say though that I would highly recommend this book if you have a person in your life who identifies as trans. It’s an excellent example of gender fluidity and Lam writes so well that, like I mentioned previously, you’ll experience it as though it was a completely normal part of society. Representation is important, and while this book did not grab me, I could see it being very important to many people. Definitely check it out for yourself and see what you think.

Disclaimer: This review is based on my honest experience reading an eARC thanks to NetGalley, DAW, and L. R. Lam! My review was not affected by this in any way.

In Dragonfall by L. R. Lam, we meet Arcady, a human resident of Lumet, and Everen, the last male dragon. The humans of Lumet betrayed dragons centuries ago, through stealing their magic and casting them out of their world, and now have forgotten their crime and worship dragons as gods. When Arcady steals an artifact from the tomb of the Plaguebringer, a spell is called forth that brings Everen through the Veil and into Lumet’s world. Everen’s kind hate humans, and have not forgiven their betrayal. When he falls through the Veil he loses some of his power, and soon learns that to get it back and to save his people as he was foretold, he needs to get Arcady to trust him so their bond will complete, and then he needs to kill them. However, what he didn’t expect is that as time goes on, Arcady and Everen keep growing closer.

This book was deliciously wonderful! The world Arcady lives in is queernorm, and Arcady themselves is queer, which gives us some WONDERFUL queer enemies to lovers. The dynamics and tension between Arcady and Everen are wonderful.

Also in this story, Arcady is a thief, so there are lots of themes of heists and other related things. I was not expecting that, so it was a nice surprise! Along with the thievery, this book had a lot of magic. I think the magic system that Lam came up with was very interesting, and I am hoping to learn more in the next books.

All in all, I highly recommend this book! It ended on a cliffhanger, but the story was wonderful, the plot was well-done, and the characters were so likeable! This book publishes today, so make sure to check it out!

This review is based on the ARC I received.

3.5⭐️

This book is an enjoyable queer fantasy, with dragons. That plot was good overall how ever the large info dump at the beginning made this book hard to get into. It took awhile for this book to gain interest for me (about 40% in) but it did get bigger and ended up being a good LGBTQ fantasy read.

Was a very interesting, captivating read. I went into it just with, you know, dragons. But it was so much more than that

The world building was awesome. The emotions of the characters was captivating. And the premise was great.

This book had a slower start for me, but epic fantasy often needs some time to fill us in on the details of the realm and how things work so that was definitely expected. What I really liked was the unique magic system and complex history that L.R. Lam wove into the story. Perfect for fans of Eragon and Lord of the Rings!


Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Though the first half of the book was a little slow-paced for my taste, I feel the rest of the book made up for it with a great fantasy with fantastic characters!! I feel like a liked a lot of the book, but the fact that it did drag on in some points took away some of the enjoyment for me.

If this book sounds interesting to you, then I would definitely give it a try!!

DNF @ 32%. I really wanted to enjoy this one. When I saw Samantha Shannon reading/enjoying it I thought I would love it since I’m such a huge fan of Samantha’s writing. Unfortunately I just can’t get into it and have decided to put it down for now.

The idea of having a dragon as a main character is so unique. Unfortunately in the book this feature fell flat as Everen was portrayed to look like a “human” so I didn’t get the fun-factor I thought I would be getting when I read the description for this book.

The world building was really cool and I loved how the idea of gender was portrayed in this book.

I think this book has great potential and I’m hoping to give it another try in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review!

This is a very promising start to an epic fantasy trilogy!!! The characters were phenomenal, not only in their character development but also in their bonds with each other. It was written in a multi-POV style, which is my personal favorite! My only negative, if you can call it that, is that I would have liked a bit more world-building to really understand their world’s history. With all of that being said, I am EXTREMELY excited to see where the next book in the series takes us!!! I definitely would recommend this to high-fantasy lovers!

Dragonfall by L.R. Lam is a queer fantasy romance with dragons and that is all I needed to know to be interested in this book! It has a lot of great aspects like prophecys, heists, and dragons. It is also enemies to lovers which is perfect for this fantasy novel. I felt like this was a very unique story because of the society of this world and how well written it was. I did find it to be a bit slow in the beginning but that is expected because the world needs to be developed for the first book in the series. The finale was intense and I am excited to see where the story is going to go!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review!

Centuries ago, mankind broke the bond between humans and dragons, stealing magic for themselves and banishing the dragons to another world. That world is now on the brink of destruction, and it has been foretold that the last male dragon, Everen, will be the one to save his kind.

Arcady lives on the streets, surviving by stealing. She has lofty goals, though, not least proving that her grandfather wasn’t the Big Evil history has painted him, and in doing so reclaim a place in a society that shuns her. The first step is yet more thievery, however, and casting a spell that will let her hide from her past.

Neither side was prepared for the spell to link them, dragging Everen – now stuck in human form – into Arcady’s world and setting up a magical link between them. With time ticking away, Everen must gain the trust of this human… but, to what end?

I’m really surprised to find I’ve read so little of Laura Lam’s work before, especially as I’ve been following her for so long on social media. This, then, was the first of her fantasy books that I’ve tried.

Full disclosure: I’m not a huge fan of romance books, and this book is all about the will-they-won’t-they (kill each other ;)) romance – making good use of the trope of enemies to… well, probably still enemies, but it’s complicated 😉 So, perhaps I’m not entirely the target audience – but, if that is your cup of tea, you will LOVE this! Even shying away from that side of it a bit, however, there is such a lot to enjoy in this book.

Both main characters have complicated backstories and motivations, and watching them cautiously dance around each other is a joy. Then there’s the worldbuilding and fascinating magical system – both wonderfully drawn, but with only just enough detail to explain while leaving me wanting a HUGE amount more. The tension levels across the board just keep ratcheting up: time is running out for the dragons, while Arcady stretches her trust levels and safety to assemble a crew for The Big Heist. Meanwhile we the reader also get point of view chapters from a ‘holy man’ and his protégé, hunting the ‘false god’ that has been sighted in the city – because of course, dragons don’t exist any more…!

And oh, there are more than enough twists and shocks along the way to keep things very interesting!

If I had any complaint at all, I’m a little uncertain about all the ‘dragon-in-human-form’, even though it’s very necessary to the plot. It worked, I just somehow couldn’t quite get my head into the idea as much as I wanted.

But overall, this is just a great read, full of action and drama and a whole new world – two of them! – that I’m really looking forward to exploring more of in the rest of the trilogy. Bring ’em to me NOW!!

LGBTQ, dragons, enemies to lovers. Those three things are enough to convince nearly anyone to pick the book up and I am here for it. The pacing could feel slow in the first half, but the world building and writing is pretty phenomenal. That being said, I don't know that the POVs felt super different or as if they were genuinely different people. That's okay, I still had a pretty good time. Very much so excited to read the next of the series.

Imagine living in a world with dragons, where genders are fluid, and not a big deal like here! Take me there and leave me there! Also, teach me how to fight!
This book is notoriously setting up for more books, which made it seem like there is smth missing, but it was nevertheless a breath of fresh air, very interesting, well written and it swept me off my feet! When is the sequel coming out??

I LOVED this book!!

(Almost) All the characters were amazing! Not sure why but I'm not a huge fan of Sorin. I see why she was included though.

I thought the second-person POV would make me dislike it yet I enjoyed how it was utilized in this book.

The book isn't perfect, definitely needs some polish. But I greatly enjoyed myself and my complaints are minor.

Not sure why this book isn't getting more love. I came for gay dragon boy w/a thief love interest and I got exactly that.

If you are looking for a book with dragons, enemies to lovers, and a very cool magic system, this is the book for you.
Dragonfall was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 but I don’t think I expected to love it as much as I did.
The writing style was constructed in multiple povs but Laura Lam managed to make it original by making Everen’s pov directly addressing Arcady and I thought this was genius. At first, I was a bit confused but as you read the book more and more, it just makes sense since it adds a touch of focus on Arcady.
The world-building was amazing, so developed that I could picture it all in my head like a movie happening in front of me.
The tension between the main characters was INCREDIBLE. Let me tell you, I read a lot of enemies to lovers but this? This was another level, this was everything I had been looking for.
And exactly when I thought I did know what was happening in the book, well I didn't. The ending completely surprised me and even during the books some of the things happening made me gasp in the living room.
This book was just so refreshing in all its aspects and I can't recommend it enough for all the fantasy books lovers.

If you’re looking for a fantasy book that is both highly entertaining and quite thought-provoking, look no further than Dragonfall. The first book of the new Dragon Scales series introduces the reader to Everen, a dragon prince suffering under the crushing weight of prophecy and his family’s expectations. The first male dragon born in centuries, he’s supposed to be able to pierce the Veil separating the dragon’s Vere Celene from the human world. On the human side, we meet Arcady, an orphan with a dark family history that is only gradually revealed. Surviving only by their wits as a thief and pickpocket, Arcady hopes to make a big enough score on their next job to go to university in their homeland of Loc. But when Arcady uses a forbidden spell, he draws Everen through the Veil. Will Everen kill Arcady so the dragons can conquer humankind, as is foretold? Or will the growing bond between these two damaged and distrustful souls cause him to betray his own kind, condemning them to death? And then there’s Sorin, an assassin whose motives and endgame are shrouded in darkness.

Likes: Both the human and dragon worlds are detailed, fascinating, and supported by plenty of excellent worldbuilding. Since Everen knows little about Loc and its neighbors, not to mention how humans use magic, the reader gets a handy introduction to human languages, food, customs, and religions in a way that doesn’t feel forced or awkward. I loved the languages in particular; along with Lochian, a spoken/written language, many people in this world from different countries also speak Trade, a signed language. In Loc, people use also Trade to indicate gender (“he,” “she,” “they,” or “any”); the honorific “They” is used for religious and political leaders. This is also a post-pandemic world (here it’s called a Strike), and the consequences of being “Struck” play out in ways that both echo and contrast with our post-Covid reality. And there are mini dragons called wyverns!

Dislikes: I wished we’d gotten more of Sorin’s perspective. But that’s a pretty minor quibble!

FYI: death of a family member, violence, murder.

Review copy (eARC) provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My excitement for this book was dramatically impacted by this being the April GSFF pick by Goldsboro.

Having read the book, it was fine, but just not my cup of tea. Not a thorough and complex type of feedback, but that was my feeling upon completion. 3/5 stars.

This fantasy novel was so immersive and exciting! When I started reading, I really only knew two things: that the cover art was stunning, and that there would be dragons. Normally those two things are enough to make me pick up a book, but it takes something special to get me hooked. L.R. Lam really took me on a journey with this story, which admittedly started out a bit slow due to the impressive world- and society-building, but I found it all the more rewarding when I learned more about the characters and all of the atmospheric details clicked into place. There was a thrilling heist, lots of magic and dragon lore, a slow burn angsty romance, some memorable sidekicks and villains, and a society that refreshingly deconstructs gender. Finally, there was a truly unputdownable ending, which thoroughly confused me and also made me desperate for the next book.

Thanks to DAW Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had some high expectations of this book, and Dragonfall just didn't at all reach them at all. I had a lot of trouble with this book. Even before I reached 10% of it, I wanted to DNF which I rarely have. This book just is a whole load of details and I this, I that in the beginning which made it so though to read.
The point-of-view storylines within the whole book are inconsistent. First person is mainly the one, which I find a less nice one because of the use of the many I's. In addition, there are multiple character point-of-views, which are all writen in the same way making it seem they are all similar.
Because of the similar writing styles in this story, this book just is a bit boring to read. Due to the many I's it seems to simple, which just adds up to this. In addition, every small thing is explained like the reader doesn't know what anything is, which makes it even more simplistic. This is a shame since this ruins the interesting storyline which is underneath. The queer part also is hold back more because of this.
Just because of some great reviews, I struggled my way through to the end but I really regret doing it. I have a lot of other ARCs on my shelf which are a lot better than this book, and reading it kind of feels like a waist of time since it just didn't get any better at all. Throughout the story I was hoping for it to get better, but it just didn't.
In a nutshell: Everything is this book is simplistic or inconsistent. The synopsis and storyline are promising, however the whole book is just a major disappointment.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, it took me about 2 weeks to finish this book and I debated DNFing it several times throughout at period. I realized after 30% that this book just wasn't for me sadly. While the concept of the book is fascinating to me, the execution just fell a bit flat. I didn't care much for Arcady or Everen and I had a hard time distinguishing their voices throughout the novel. I wish I had loved this book because it sounded so interesting to read from a dragon's POV!

I had a hard time getting into the story and the worldbuilding didn't work for me. The narrative felt very info-dumpy and I had a hard time remembering many of the terms and characters. But on the other hand, there were aspects of the world, such as the magic system, that remained confusing to me and needed more explanation. While the plot itself was interesting, I just had a hard time getting through the book because of the writing, worldbuilding, and the characters.

Sadly, this just wasn't for me but I'm sure there is a large group of readers out there who will really enjoy this story!

5 ⭐️ for originality and shape shifting dragons!
Epic world building and a unique magic system. I didn’t notice much information dumping as I was so focused on the vibes and atmosphere.
I felt there was great gender representation. I loved how the romance didn't focus on the usual body parts that society has labelled as sexual. Lots of sexy hands and necks! Yes and yes!
The differing points of view are as great and the development of the relationship was lovely.
Overall great - dragons, prophecy, a heist and romance - what more can I ask for from a book.
Looking forward to how the story develops from here.