thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of Dragonfall. I feel this didn't get the recognition it needed since it came out the same time as fourth wing which was promoted beyond belief. This was about dragon shifters though and was fantastic.

Book: Dragonfall
Author: L.R Lam
Platform: 100% Read
Pages: 448

Dragonfall is a brand new queer high fantasy and high stakes trilogy by L.R Lam. This series will take you on an adventure with Everen and Arcady.

Long ago, humans betrayed the dragons. They stole their magic and banished them beyond the veil. Centuries later, history is blurred and dragons are worshipped as Gods.

No dragon has crossed the veil...until now.

When Arcady obtains a powerful artifact from her ancestor, the most hated person in Lumet history, Arcady ends up with more then they bargained for.

Everen.

A thief, a dragon and an incomplete bond.

Fates entwined, Arcady requires Everen's help to secure their future among the elite and Everen will need to gain Arcady's trust to regain his true power and welcome the dragons into the mortal realm for the first time in centuries.

I'm newer to fantasy and this was my first dragon read with the exception of the Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim. So it was definitely something new for me and I quite enjoyed it! I'll definitely be on the look out for the sequel and look forward to seeing what happens next!

What I Liked
* I didn't catch some of the twists, namely the one at the end.
* Great worldbuilding
* Well written - great for the imagination!

Hmm, not so much:
* It was a little bit longer than it could have been I think.
* A few too many points of view - I think it could have stayed at Arcady & Everen.

Thank you to NetGalley / DAW books for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dragonfall has an interesting premise, but doesn't move fast enough for me.

Dragons were expelled from Earth many years ago and sent to an inhospitable realm. Most dragons are female, and when Everen was born, it was prophesied that he was the one who would save their peoples. Everen flies into danger, knowing some of the prophecies about himself, but not all - his family and the ancient dragon who sees the future have kept many things from him.

Arcady is the grandson of the Plaguebringer, the most hated person in Lumet history. But Arcady remembers his grandfather as kind and wise, and wants to clear his name. He steals an artifact from his tomb, and the magic draws Everen across the Veil and into his world. The two are semi-bonded, and neither is entirely truthful with the other about what they're trying to do. If Everen's plan works, all of the humans will die. But does he really want that to happen, now that he knows (and maybe loves) Arcady?

I found that I didn't really care for the main characters, and there was way too much description. I found that I could skim pages and still keep up with the story, which is never a good thing.

This is the first of a trilogy, but I'm not sure I care enough to read anymore. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

What a beautiful cover! It’s a shame the execution of the idea was a huge setback.

The premise was good. An enemies-to-lovers story — what can you want more? But I had a major issue with the writing style. It was far more telling than showing and there were simply too many points of view to read from. It was jarring, especially when the story read from a dragon’s pov. Also, it was difficult following Everen’s point of view as his story was like a person telling to Arcady, while Arcady’s story was from the third-person perspective. Unfortunately, this did not work for me.

This is probably one of the best enemy to lovers fantasies I have read, ever. And I really do mean ever. Also, I have the largest crush on Everen, omigoodness he is completely swoon worthy! And while the whole interspecies romance is usually not my cup of tea I admit that I have completely made an exception with Everen and Arcady and I am rooting for them to have a Happily Ever After!

Alright now that the swooning is out of the way I'll get to the rest.

What I enjoyed here the most was that I've finished the book and even though I know who at least one bad guy is (or at least I think I do) I'm also pretty sure that all of the bigger players among the humans and the Dragons are a little bit evil. Everen's Mom and Sister are just to dedicated to their hate to not be hiding something huge and while the end reveals someone who has got to be the big evil it all seems to simple for a world (s) that seems to hold some complicated secrets.

Obviously, I loved the characters. There was never a point where I felt that their actions weren't realistic and I was really surprised that I felt the progression of Arcady and Everen's relationship felt completely natural and realistic.

The world building was fantastic as well. Lam's descriptions of the world (s) were far simpler than I usually enjoy and yet I still have a crystal clear picture of both Lumet and Vere Celene in my head.

My one very tiny complaint is Magnes, I'm not really sure when I figured out who he was but it was pretty early on. I wouldn't necessarily say he was a trope but I think his character walked a fine line. And I'm not saying I didn't like his character because I did, I felt like his specific character was almost necessary for this story. I just wish he had been a little more hidden. For those of you who haven't read that probably won't make a lot of sense until you do.

Overall, Dragonfall was an excellent beginning to a new series that I found to be pretty unique in comparison to some of the other fantasy I've been reading lately.

I was very excited to get this as an ARC. When it has dragon characters AND lgbtq+ rep, I was sold. I enjoyed the overall plot and the introduction to characters. The writing however is what threw me off. There was nothing majorly wrong with the writing, just came across slightly juvenile and maybe too detailed in parts where it wasn't necessary? But I still enjoyed the book enough that I want to go buy a physical copy. I will definitely read book two in this trilogy. Overall I gave this 4 stars.

Dragons, a genderfluid society, & a heist all in one? This book was high on my list this year and while it didn't blow me away like I had hoped, I did enjoy it. Definitely a slower read and feels more like a set up for the rest of the series than a self resolved book. I am more excited for the conflict that has been set up than I was for any of this first book. The ending and the increased pace at the end of the book really saved it for me. I'm still not sure if I liked the character POV of letter writing because while it was finally explained at the very end, it was a bit clunky to read. Overall a great YA book and I look forward to book 2!

This was closer to a 3.5/5 for me but rounding up because it trends closer to a 4 star read than 3 star.

First: that cover?! Gosh, it’s so gorgeous!

I love a good fantasy with dragons, this was exactly what i was looking for!

Loved all the inclusivity in this book.

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

Dragonfall has EVERYTHING I wanted in it - a queer normative world, dragons and magic. Dragons have been kicked out of the human world after years of them being bonded. Now, the humans have mostly forgotten the dragons and worship them as gods but nothing more than myth. The dragons? They want revenge and to take the world for their own. Dragon artifacts are considered illegal to sell and there's an entire order dedicated to eradicating those who do.

Enter Arcady - human thief who's trying to clear the name of their grandfather who's supposedly brought along a plague. The counterpart is Everen - the only male dragon who's been prophesied to save the dragon race. Arcady's one spell to become a new person draws Everen into the human world and binds them.

Everen has one goal - get Arcady to trust him, complete their bond and kill them, taking Arcady's power for himself and open the rift between the worlds. Arcady just wants to become a new person to be able to attend college as a rich elite, but needs money to do so....HEIST TIME!!

There were so many unique concepts in this book. The magic system is innovative where magic requires substance and those who use too much magic are at risk of turning "starveling" and basically turning into rabid animals. Additionally, humans carry seals from birth that identify them and are linked by magic - which helps when everyone has such a flexibility with gender and sexuality. Arcady says by their own words that they see themselves between male and female and it's seen as SO normal in the world which I loved.

Unfortunately the plot is what fell flat for me. There were quite a few plot holes or things I just didn't understand in terms of world building, Everen's prophecies and how it applies to his choices and the entirety of the bond between the two of them. The pacing was also a struggle and I felt like the author threw out a lot of terms without explaining them, even with context clues sometimes it took me a while to understand what they were saying.

I did love many things about this book, dragons and a queer normative world !! so I'm looking forward to book 2!

rep// queer normative world, NB MC

cw// death, murder, violence, blood, chronic illness, classism, religious bigotry

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC 🥰😘

Dragonfall tells the story of dragons and the humans that deceived them, the humans that stole their magic, forgot their evils and now worship them as gods. The humans have had centuries to forget their disloyal ways but their ‘gods’ the dragons have vowed to never forget.

Arcady is a thief who steals a very powerful artefact from the Plaguegiver, the most despised person pretty much ever. Arcady is looking for a way out of their life and into a new one and they know the artefact’s magic is the key and as well as a chance for revenge. When casting their spell Arcady tears the veil and drags the dragon, Everen, through. Everen has much to bear even before being pulled through - he is the last remaining male dragon it is said that he will save his kind but he has spent his life being scolded by his mother, the queen. Everen disguises themselves as a human and follows Arcady into the city, he has to find a purpose as to why he has been pulled through. He finds out soon enough when, after he is located by his sister, it is explained to him, that he is half bonded with Arcady and must complete the bond with them then kill them or their worlds will become nothing at all.

L.R Lam’s writing is flawless ❤️❤️ I love multiple POVs, the character’s are all fantastic!! I love that they’re kinda mysterious? Like you know them but not completely? I’m totally fascinated by Sorin and I’m hoping for more Sorin chapters in the next book!! Arcady and Everen bound to me now as well, my heart is so full and totally broken and I’m dying for the next book!! The ending killed me, I read it and was floored, it was a totally jaw drop!!

The From the moment I picked up Dragonfall I couldn’t put it down, even though I was ill I still had to have it close by to read 😂❤️ If you like dragons, romance, heists, Six of Crows and all things queer then this book is for you!! 5✨ for sure!!

Dense, a drag, just unpleasant to read. Feels very overwritten yet somehow I was confused and couldn't quite grasp what was going on. The characters had no personality and were not memorable. Because of that, I didn't care at all for the romance - the main reason I picked up this book - and was overall just very disappointed.

I had such high hopes about Dragonfall and the buzz surrounding it was so good so when I was provided an ARC of the book I was super excited. It was good, but definitely didn’t live up to my expectations. I’m also not sure I would consider this book a romance book either. It was lightly flavored with some potentially amorous feelings. So, if you’re looking for romance, this isn’t the book for you. It’s definitely a slooooooow burn-I’m guessing we’ll see more development in that arena in the following two books of the trilogy.
This book was heavy on the world building aspects and lighter on the character development than I would have liked. I don’t normally mind lots of world building, but it felt like plot advancement took a backseat to it for most of the book.
There were multiple POVs in Dragonfall and they did not stay in the same point of view style throughout. The two main characters, Arcady and Everen, were written in the first person and the additional POVs were written in the third person. I would have preferred the entire book to be written in third person because when we would switch between Arcady and Everen it was difficult to tell on occasion whose mind we were in with all the “I” statements and referring to the other character as “you”. I often had to back up or reread sections of text to remind myself if Arcady or Everen was the character we were with in any given chapter.
All that aside, once the plot picked up (around the 80% mark) it was a fast-paced, exciting adventure-with just that tiniest hint of romance-that culminated in a cliffhanger ending that I absolutely did not see coming! I think I will enjoy the next two books much more (and sooner in the book) because the baseline has been established and the book can focus on the plot and the characters rather than world building.
I would give this book a 3.5 rating if possible.

Dragonfall provides a bold and complex fantasy novel of longing, loneliness, prophecy and heist. With multiple narrators and POVs (first and third), this book will have you raising an eyebrow and flipping those pages.

I'm always a fan of a good thief character and Arcady is no exception. Arcady has a big plan, both short term and long term, but needs extra hands, which is of course when problems arise. Everen, the only male dragon, is tied to prophecy but attempts to forge his own path. Sorin, an assassin for the Order of the Dragon church, is conflicted in her tasks and I look forward to seeing where her beliefs take her.

The worldbuilding is intense from page one but it paid off by the end with compelling characters. A glossary would've been helpful to keep the geography and position titles clear. The majority of the novel takes place in Vatra, where gender is more fluid and pronouns are signed upon introduction. I really appreciated the queer and deaf representation in this book.

Though I was legitimately not understanding some of the world and bigger picture until the end, I greatly enjoyed Dragonfall. I'm intrigued and rooting for Arcady and Everen. The last chapter with a secondary character went where I expected and I am absolutely for the chaos that will come!

If this sounds like your vibe, make sure you give yourself time to understand what is being offered in Dragonfall. The pacing is smooth, even with longer chapters, and I promise the payoff is worth it for those who love an enticing, unique and queer magical dragon tale.

CW: death, murder, violence, blood, chronic illness, classism, religious bigotry

It was okay. I wasn't in love with it and I didn't love it either. I enjoyed the different take on dragons in a fantasy book, but it didn't make up for the things I did not love- the slow pace. The ending was a bit shocking though and I enjoyed that, a lot.

This book was a little young for me, i like the premise but I could not get into it. I DNF’d the book unfortunately

Dragonfall is an immersive journey through the streets of the coastal city, with cunning thieves and fascinating dragons, and the menace of a looming threat emerging from a reddening sky.

While I wasn’t totally in love with this book, it’s undeniable that L.R. Lam’s writing paints an incredibly well-thought story, with a perfectly crafted and layered world-building and a balanced magical system- there is something particularly endearing in the concept of humans turning their biggest betrayal into a foundational myth and their old allies in gods.
It’s also really warmed my heart that the “country” in which the story takes places is so respectful of queer folks- the system of always exchanging pronouns is just so amazing (“only you know the truth of yourself” YES YES YES).

The book balances the planning and execution of a complex theft, and the unfurling of a plot that would allow dragons to re-conquest the place they had been cast out of centuries ago. This is done by using two main different points of view that are harmonized together but are also unique in their core characteristics: if Everen’s pov is a reencounter of past events, with an introspective eye that only comes from looking at previous events knowing already how they are going to end, Arcady’s pov is fully immersed in the present, showing their uncertainties and their fragilities, and it’s only at the end that it becomes clear the reason for the different ways in how they tell the same story.
There is also a third pov that delivers another different look at the plot and the intertwining of events, but I just believe the narrator should take a break and get adopted by a father figure who is not interested in emotionally manipulating her.

I absolutely loved both Arcady and Everen with my whole heart. I particularly liked that the way Everen is written makes it clear that while he can shape-shift into a human, he is not one, and has not only different behavior but also different habits and an opposite lens of looking at the world. And all of this is highlighted by contrasting it to Arcady, who is so fully human, so headstrong and passionate, so focused on reaching their goal that nothing else matters (unless there is a sexy and mysterious guy who they are apparently bonded to).
They are such a perfectly executed forbidden romance, and I’m all for it.

Sometimes the book felt a little bit slow and it didn’t always hold my attention, but it’s definitely a book worthy of reading, and I’m so intrigued by the possibilities of development of the story in the future books. 

I recommend Dragonfall to those looking for an epic fantasy story, with an amazing romance and a captivating world-building.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was incredibly excited to receive this ARC since Dragonfall sounded like a story that I would completely enjoy. Unfortunately, I DNF’d at 31%.

Over the last few weeks of trying to read this book, I could not immerse myself or push through the story. I felt as though the world itself was confusing and I didn’t feel as though I even really understood how things worked in the world at 31%.

The characters also felt 2-dimensional for me, and I couldn’t get behind either of them as a reader. I was more interested in Everett’s story but it felt like a cyclical plot line up until the point where I’d finished. I also expected this to be written in third person, and didn’t expect first person POVs to be included.

I think this novel could be great for readers who enjoy first person POV and a detailed writing style.

An absolute gem in the fantasy romance genre. This was exactly what I was in the mood to read and it did not let me down. The characters had me laughing and crying. I was falling in love as I read about them falling in love. The action was well balanced with the romance. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Dragonfall is now officially one of my favorite reads of the year. I am OBSESSED!! Dragons, heists, epic storytelling, high stakes, magic and queer romance?! I loved Dragonfall from page one!!

I promise you will adore Arcady & Everen! Learning about their ambitions, what they yearn for and their reluctant growing affection between them was one of my favorite aspects of this story. Not to mention a certain prophecy that linked them together in a way that it was impossible for them to escape. Arcady is a thief and Everen is the last male dragon of a vanquished land, so what can they possibly have in common? Aah, I just loved these two, they’re such a chaotic couple!

Now the storyline was absolutely amazing! As I mentioned in the beginning, magic, heists and mayhem are included in this book and I was all here for it! We also get to experience life in Vatra (where Arcady lives), meet some of Aracady’s acquaintances, learn the basics of his trade and even plan a heist! The only downside of this book is that now I have to wait for the sequel!

This is my first book by LR Lam, but Dragonfall has convinced me to read all of her books!! For all epic fantasy lovers out there, you must check this one out!

*You must read Dragonfall if you love reading about:
Epic Fantasy
Slow burn queer romance
Heists
DRAGONS!
Fantastic storytelling
Epic worldbuilding
Thieves
Prophecies
Magic

I am only giving this book four stars because I personally struggled to read it. It isn’t hold my attention long and I kept not wanting to come back to it. However, the story itself and the characters were all solid. So you can make your own assumptions on if it’s truly a four star read or not. If it had kept my attention it would have been five stars. But it didn’t.

In a world filled with magic dragons are considered gods and any relics (bones) are highly prized by the church. Arcady is non-binary (and I absolutely LOVED that they were no binary) and in an effort to clear her grandfather’s name they set themselves up on a path to do just that. There’s only one hangup. Everyone has a seal, that dictates their name for all to see, and arcady’s name is tainted by their granfather. So they perform a spell for a new one. Only it doesn’t exactly go as planned.

Everen is the only male dragon in the world where the dragons were banished many years ago. In an effort to fight against his fate he thrusts himself into a void in the world and ends up bound to Arcady. Neither of them wants the bond but both need it in ways they can’t even imagine. Arcady needs to clear their family’s legacy and everen needs Arcady to die to bring the dragons back to their world.

This story is filled with puzzles and intrigue between two beings who have every reason to distrust the other. And yet they find common ground. Mixed in is a good old fashioned heist and the chief cleric and his ward who are out to prevent the dragons from ever coming home.

The magic system here is solid and so is the story. I loved seeing Everen and Arcady interact and the aspect of a sickness that plagued the world have echoes of our own world and how it effected each and every one of us. If you love dragons and magic and two people destined for each other but fighting it all the way, you’ll love this.