Thank you NetGalley and DAW Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“You dreamed of me for years, and now, I dream of you.”

This is a fantasy novel about dragons. Do I need to say more?

I really enjoyed this book. I had never read anything from Lam before, and I think it’s safe to say that this one was a great introduction.

Dragonfall has multiple POVs, including one for Everen, the dragon! It took me some time to get through the first third of the story because it has lots of world-building information and magic systems from both the human and dragon worlds, but once I got hooked, it flowed fast.

This book has representation for non-binary characters, with the main character Arcady being one of them. Their relationship with Everen was one of my favorite things from the book. It was great to see the development of their unexpected bond and their forced proximity, and how they reluctantly moved from enemies/strangers to friends and then to something more. Another interesting thing is Sorin’s POV. Her chapters were really insightful in showing her relationship with Magnes, how she’s in a power dynamic with him being the powerful one. He’s clearly grooming her, and I want to see her role in the next books and how the author will tackle this rapport (which I truly wish ends with her getting out of it).

The magic system felt really well thought out, and there’s a twist at the end that I, personally, didn’t see coming, but it all made sense in the end.

Arcady and Everen will definitely make the cut to my “Favorite couples I read/discovered this year” list, and I can’t wait to read the next one.

Dragonfall is by far one of the best book I've read in 2023 so far. I couldn’t have been more thrilled when NetGalley allowed me the honors to read the ARC. This story captivates you in with the phenomenal writing style along with it’s fast-paced plot. It's queer enemies to lovers, featuring a human and a dragon (who doesn’t love dragons). Let’s not forget the epic world building! I was especially intrigued by the dragon realm especially its mythologies. I won’t lie though, I wasn’t sure how I would like the POV of a non-human character but let me tell you, it doesn’t disappoint. This is one book that will go on my list of “If I could read for the first time again and again”! *Chef’s Kiss*

Thank you to L.R. Lam, Daw Books and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

"Knowledge was power. Knowledge was escape."

Like many readers, Dragonfall was a conflicting read. I admit that I skipped several paragraphs, at the risk of DNFing the story. The first few chapters bombard us with information and were really hard to follow. On the one hand it's understandable, because it sets up the plot for a trilogy to come. On the other hand, I think it could have been done better. In this mass of information, I had a hard time following the descriptions of the characters and as a result, for nearly the entire book, I couldn't clearly picture the characters.
Magnes clearly creeped me out with the way he treated Sorin.

So, to sum it up a bit.
What I liked:
- Arcady
- The dragons
- The gay pining
- the last 20% of the book, the action accelerates, the chapters are short, a pleasure to read

What I didn't like:
- the world building and the information bombing
- Everen's pov and the use of "you" that took me out of the story several times. Again, I understand its use since Everest's chapters are the result of the story he writes to Arcady but it hindered my reading more than anything else
- the prophecy aspect was not as well done as I expected, I got lost a few times

I think that while the book wasn't for me, it may appeal to fans of fantasy with dragons, who like their stories sprinkled with gay pining. Maybe I'll give the sequel a go.

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from DAW books and NetGalley

This book was amazing from start to finish. The twist and the times and oh my god the DRAGON POV. Was so unexpected, but so brilliant! I was so enamoured with this book that I could not put my tablet down. I spent hours reading this wonderful book! I even read it a second time 😂

✅ Queer enemies to lovers. The romance fit so well within the story. It just felt so natural.
✅”I don’t want to hurt you at all”
✅Gorgeous World building(IT CAME WITH A MAP) and I’m a sucker for fantasy books with maps 😍
✅DRAGON POV

My full review will be published on my Instagram closer to release day

I CANNOT WAIT FOR ACTUAL RELEASE DAY

A tale for lovers of dragons, worldbuilding, and queer characters. LR Lam enchants in this story of magic and the cost of dreams.

DNF at 12% - too slow of a start with almost 0.1% of dialogue or character introduction and way, <I>way</I> too many info dump and confusing world-building.

3,5*

this was quite a journey! at first i found it really hard to get into this book due to all the new terms that the author provided right from the start. however, once i got the hang of the magic system and how this world works, it became enjoyable. i loved both Arcady and Everen and how their naturally their relationship changed throughout the book. i also really liked the writing style, i thought it was beautiful and the story has been conveyed in an interesting manner. although i think that the way Sorin was interwoven into the events of the book, was a bit weird since the reader rarely got to read her POV and for the most part that made me question how she relates to what was happening. despite the slow start and a few odd bits, i enjoyed reading this book quite a bit and i look forward to the sequel.

thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

4.25 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc.

The first 12% of this book, I wasn’t sure if I’d like it. But then, it picked up tremendously and I became obsessed. I read about 60% in one sitting.

This book has queer enemies to lovers to ??? and it’s the perfect slow burn. I also enjoyed the queer normative world where everyone is referred to with they/them pronouns until told otherwise. It worked well and I enjoyed that twist on reality.

I really love Everen as a character. He is so complex and I can’t wait to learn more about him throughout this trilogy. Arcady was also fascinating, I loved how they are always dressed in cool outfits and how they have taken on the most challenging magical tasks.

The bond building between these two is dynamic and I loved the way it was described.

The last 15%— phew! You’re gonna wanna read that in one sitting. My kindle died at 92% and I was devastated!! I had to wait for it to wake back up to be able to read more.

Overall, I loved this story and these characters and I plan to read the rest of the trilogy. I’m mad I have to wait so long for the next book!

trigger warnings:
Graphic: Death, Violence, Injury/injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Chronic illness, War, Vomit, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death

This book was very conflicting to read. I think it's supposed to be an adult fantasy but it def gives a very YA vibe that didn't sit right with me at times. The concept was very cool - Dragon (LOVE), Queer Fantasy - and I had a higher expectation than I should have going into this. There were definitely some eye-rolling moments that I wish could have been better and the different POVs also took a while to get used to
I'm not a huge fan of these pov changes usually but the characters were well-written and the tension and anticipation in the story was evident and understandable.
As a result, I have given this book 3.25 stars and I will be interested in reading the sequel as well

Thanks to Netgalley for the e-ARC

Dragons, magic, a heist, a forbidden attraction between the two main characters that can't physically touch, a genderfluid main character, what more could one ask for in a great fantasy book?

The world of magic quickly had its grip on me and I was unable to put this down. I loved the way it switched between different POVs and left you wanting more after each chapter. Many fantasy books seem to cover the same areas, but this book was truly refreshing in its approach to magic, dragons and gods. It was very interesting to learn more about the way the human world worked, and how the dragons got separated from it. I especially appreciated the bond between the two main characters, how they shouldn't and couldn't be attracted to each other. Had me kicking my feet, smiling to myself, and I might have shed some tears.

The ending had me holding my breath and I cannot wait a second longer to read the rest of this series!

I’m really sad to say that I didn’t love Dragonfall. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it really fell flat for me. I really likes the premise and the whole concept of the book but it was not a very satisfactory execution. I couldn’t get invested in the characters and the world. The POV of Everen and Arcady just sounded to similar to me, so I wasn’t able to distinguish their voices and that just ended up boring me. The world building was also a bit jarring. It wasn’t very developed and it felt like the author just was throwing a bunch of made up words at us to mimic the idea of a well built universe. I appreciate the inclusion of queerness in this book and I had no faults with that or the representation. Overall just wasn’t what I was hoping for.

It took me a minute to get into this novel and to start to understand the world, the magic and the dual narrative but once I did I got so invested in Everen and Arcady’s story and, of course, their chemistry! Everen’s narrative is written as though he’s talking directly to Arcady, in a letter or a story, recalling the circumstances that led to their meeting and everything after that and I found it added a layer of intimacy to Everen’s perspective. This pair has a lot in common but also a lot dividing them, including prophecy. Watching two lonely people, outcasts of their worlds, find what they needed and longed for in each other was beautiful and waiting for their secrets to emerge and the difficult decisions be made was a kind of torture. How do you know if you can trust someone? That’s the real question here.
Arcady is a character that feels emotions strongly, despite trying to shut himself away and protect himself. His anger burns, his tears pour and his loneliness aches. He definitely met his match in Everen and seeing their bond grow and change the more time they spent together, working towards their heist and with the countdown looming over them, made it so easy to connect to these characters and start rooting for them.
I’m yet to find a book with dragons that I didn’t love and I’m eagerly anticipating the sequel so I can get more of my dragon fix!

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

"Dragonfall" is a queer, high fantasy story about a thief trying to steal their way into high society and a dragon being taken from his realm. While I am in a terrible reading slump and parts of the story were a tad predictable, I enjoyed the novel, especially the queerness and normalised use of "they/them" pronouns as well as the inclusion of non-binary or genderfluid identities.

4 Stars

This book was amazing. I loved every second of it. I was completely hooked the plot was so good I'll definitely be doing a reread in the future and I already have a copy pre-ordered as well.

Dragonfall is not what I was expecting. This is a story of a bond between a dragon & a human. Our two main characters, Arcardy (Any) & Everen (He/Him) spend a good chunk of the book preparing/planning for a heist while slowly growing closer. Bonus points for it being a queer story.

There are multiple POVs throughout the book which I really enjoyed. Everen's POV is the most interesting in my opinion because he is writing his perspective of the events to Arcady. Outside of Arcady and Everen the other main POV is Sorin who is a priest/assassin. For the majority of the book, it felt unnecessary to include her POV. I don't feel it added much.

This book is well-written and after the first couple of chapters, I found it easy to follow. The word preterit is used a lot early on. It is actually used quite often throughout the story to describe the form between a dragon and a human. I never want to see the word preterit again.

The book is very slow moving which for many readers may be enjoyable. Unfortunately, I struggled to get through a lot of it. Since a large focus is on training Everen to assist with the heist the story doesn't progress quickly. It does have the enemies-to-lovers element which I am a fan of.

I did enjoy the twist towards the end of the book however I am unsure if it is enough for me to continue with this series.

I was expecting more action from a book about dragons and was let down.

Dragonfall, a fantasy novel by L.R. Lam, tells the story of Astrid, a young woman on a mission to save her kingdom from an ancient dragon. The book has well-developed characters and an intricate magic system set in a richly detailed world.

While the book is well-written, it may not be suitable for all readers due to its darker themes and depictions of violence. Additionally, the plot feels predictable, making the story somewhat formulaic. The book's pacing may also be slow for some readers, especially in the first half.

Overall, Dragonfall is a solid addition to the fantasy genre, with strong world-building and well-rounded characters. Fans of traditional fantasy stories may enjoy this book, despite its predictability and slower pacing. However, readers seeking a unique or fast-paced story may find it lacking.

This writing style wasn't for me. It's too character driven and there's no plot. I was bored. I gave up halfway through.

Pleasantly surprised by this book! I went into it expecting a lot of romance and it wasn't quite that. There was a lot of yearning though and that made up for it.
I enjoyed the world building and the magic system, but high fantasy novels tend to confuse me when they describe these systems and that was the case here. I won't go into it because I simply did not pay attention! Moving on.
I lovedddd Everen's POV. It was unique and it gutted me sometimes. It's as if he was writing directly to Arcady and it kind of killed me. The bit that bothered me was that while I understood where Arcady got their attraction to Everen, it felt like his only came once theirs did.
Arcady took a while for me to like but I eventually came around. I liked their personality and voice and the mission they were striving for. This book has a lot going on, that I don't really want to go into it, so it's not that there's a lack of action–it just feels like it takes a whil for that action to come about. Sometimes it just DRAGS with mundane things. That might be my biggest complaint. But I'm really invested with these characters so I really need the next book!

I loved this book! It's got dragons and thieves and romance and hidden identities. There's an enemies to lovers romance that's a slow burn, which I love. And very little spice, which it's a book 1, so I appreciate holding onto that tension.

Everen's personal arc was just, ugh, so good. He starts off truly hating humans and thinking they are so inferior only to find himself stuck with Arcady. And over time changing his mind about humans. Even with the weight of his whole species on his shoulders, he is still conflicted.

And man my heart just broke for Arcady over and over. They had a hard life and they are still a softie on the inside.

Pacing wise, it was a bit slow for a while after Everen comes through the Veil and is getting his bearings. It wasn't bad, there just wasn't much else going on. But once it picked up, it was sooo good!

I was surprised by the way this book turned out and the twist at the end. It left me wishing I already had book 2 and this one doesn't even officially come out until May. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy, heists, dragons, enemies to lovers, and/or slow burn romance.

It can be difficult to rate the first book in a trilogy before it's complete. Overall, I liked the story but there are definitely some underdeveloped plot points that will hopefully be flushed out with subsequent books.
Not sure if this is a YA book, but it read that way sometimes, particularly with the romance. I think if you like YA fantasy, you will probably enjoy this story.