Ahoy there me mateys! This has dragons and I have always been interested in trying the author's work.  Alas, I abandoned this one at 24%.  I had problems with the characters, romance, and the world building.

There are three POVs and I kinda hated two of them.  Actually, the third was only slightly better.  The first is Tesha.  She is set up as a glass-blower and then somehow is a political freedom fighter.  She is angry and snarky but in a way that made me want her to stop speaking.  Ashadi is the dragon rider from a rich family who is good with guns.  Naili is a laundry woman and herbalist who somehow gets magical powers.

I only read about a quarter of the book but already the "romance" was problematic.  Tesha's was in love until she finds out he is a noble which leads to insipid interactions with said noble.  Ashadi is in lust with his male servant from a different class.  Naili is in casual polyamorous female relationships.  It honestly seemed that the characters spent a lot of time in lust and thinking about sex instead of the larger issues at hand.  Naili in particular was pretty explicit about her sexual desires.  These relationships also seemed very forced and like boxes were being checked.  The heterosexual, the gay man, and the lesbian with a bonus for being poly.  By the time I stopped reading, I was already annoyed with all of it.  Also why did all of the characters have to be interconnected in the silliest ways possible.

The world building was also extremely confusing.  I couldn't keep track of how many countries there were or the major political players.  Ashadi is supposed to be a tribute bride but why exactly?  How does it affect politics? Naili is from a despised social class or culture or something.  But again why?  Ashadi has to fight monsters to protect people.  Not sure which people he is protecting.  It seemed like the monsters were only trying to cross one border?  How do the mines work exactly?  What is being mined?  The war is talked about a lot but the consequences aren't really shown except dragon parts are in short supply.

And that brings us to NOT enough dragons or their wrath.  We did meet Ashadi's dragon.  She was funny and I couldn't tell if she really wanted her rider to die as much as her dialogue seemed to suggest.  I don't blame her if she does cause Ashadi is annoying.  But she was only in one brief scene.  And I felt like a lot was missing when it came to the context of the dragons.  How is the bond formed?  Why do the dragons agree to fight monsters?  Are they upset about dragon parts being used in human industry?

Basically this novel confused or annoyed me most of the time I was reading.  So I stopped.  Arrrr!

I really wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. It was just so hard for me to get into it. Maybe it was the timing; I've been feeling like I'm on the verge of a reading slump and this was just not the book to pull me out of it. There was just not a lot interesting going on sometimes, and when I reached those points, it was hard for me to keep picking this one up to keep reading.

However, when I was able to sit down and read this book, I enjoyed that the characters had actual depth, were very well written, and more realistic than other fantasy book characters.

Overall, it just seems like there is something missing from this story, that would make it a 5 star read, but the delivery was just a little short. I would like to re-read this at a later time, to attempt to see if it was just the reading slump that made it harder to stick to.

Thank you to Devin Madson, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Thank you to Orbit, Devin Madson, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Between Dragons and Their Wrath in exchange for my honest review.

Between Dragons and Their Wrath is the first book in the new epic fantasy trilogy. Between Dragons and Their Wrath follows three distinct point of views. The first is Tesha, who is a glassblowers apprentice turned insult bride. Tesha does not want her city to be conquered by the South. In an attempt to prevent that from happening, she agrees to pose as a noble's cousin and be the insult "tribute" bride. The goal: when she is discovered, it will blow up the deal between the south and her city, freeing them from being conquered. The second POV is Ash, a dragon rider and high noble. Ash protects the cities from monsters, but when his dragon is shot down and he accidentally discovered knowledge that he is not supposed to know, he is put in a very precarious position. The third point of view is Naili, a laundress in the house of an alchemist. When strange things start occurring and new powers form, Naili is forced to decide if she wants to save the world.

One trend that I have noticed in a lot of epic fantasy books recently is that the first book as become this set up for some overarching plot. I am not sure if it is because the books are forced to be shorter than the author would like, but essentially the first book sets up this much larger plot. It is the kind of thing that when the entire series in published, it is amazing and works really well together, but individually it is hard to get through. Unfortunately, I found this book to fall into this category. I think the concept is great and each character had interesting story lines, but you are not given enough chapters with the characters for it to make sense. For example, I simply do not understand the point of view of Naili at this point in time. I can see how down the line it will be important, but there is also a part of me that thinks that if her POV did not exist, then we would have been information of Tesha and Ash's story lines, which felt big. But instead, this was a shorter book for epic fantasy and each chapter felt like a self-contained story. I want to say that I loved it and that I flew through it but the truth is I did not. I rarely say it, but the book needed to be longer if all three POVs are to be included. But I do see a lot of potential and for that reason will continue on with the trilogy. I just wish that this trend of having the first book be set up did not exist because there are a lot of great concepts out there and I can see people not reading past the first book because it was all set up. I love epic fantasy and have a lot of faith that this trilogy will be amazing as it continues. I also think people need to give it a try for themselves rather than just listen to my opinion. Because, truth is, while I have learned to like plot-driven stories more than I have in the past year, I still need more character development, and this is for sure a plot based story. So if you love plot based fantasy stories, I promise you the premise of this book has a lot of potential.

i don’t rate books I didn't finish but in order to share my thoughts I have to give it one so I’ll just give it a 2. sadly, this book wasn’t working for me and I ended up having to put it down around 35%. I’m not entirely sure if the book is just failing to grab my attention or if the timing is off for me to be reading this as im feeling slumpy. I love dragons so I was excited to jump into this one but they’re lacking so far in the story and I don’t care enough about the characters to continue.

Between Dragons and Their Wrath ebook ARC from NetGalley 3.5 rated as a 3

Between Dragons and Their Breath by Devin Madison offers an intriguing premise set in a richly built world that is both captivating and immersive. The banter between characters adds a layer of enjoyment, and the vivid, gritty descriptions of meal scenes are particularly memorable, bringing the setting to life with intensity. The multiple POVs are handled expertly, a strength Madison consistently showcases in her work. The concept of armed dragons, who prepare for battle by literally getting "lit," is a standout, adding a unique twist to the fantasy elements.

However, the pacing of the story feels slow at times, which may detract from the overall experience. The character arcs, while present, don't resonate as strongly as those in some of Madison's previous works. The romance subplot feels rushed, leaning into an "Insta Love" trope, and the unexpected number of sex scenes might surprise some readers. (I don’t mind the steam, just had no idea it was even in there)

Despite these mixed feelings, the potential in the series is evident, and your love for Madison's writing ensures that you'll continue with the next installment, hopeful for the story's development.

Ultimately, I think the concept of the book was quite interesting! I did find it to be quite slow and that made it difficult for me to maintain interest, sometimes it felt like I was skipping through whole paragraphs of dialogue that had little value or I was just struggling through a scene. If you don't mind a slow start, then this definitely isn't a reason to not read it, though. I thought it was cool how the different perspectives were scattered around but that did make it difficult to follow along with all the different casts and the geography. I did find that this made worldbuilding difficult and that I still have some questions about it, it just wasn't clear at times. On the opposite end, though, the overarching plot was quite straightforward in that it was 2 warring powers fighting over another land: one wants total control and one allows for freedom. At this point in the series, it's not necessarily groundbreaking. The book felt like it was written with a sequel in mind already (versus writing to tell the story within the novel which I think was possible), so who knows where this will go. Overall, I think that there are some great characters and I enjoy the aspects of glassmaking and alchemy, but it felt unnecessarily long and the world building was not as clear as I wish it was.

Between Dragons and Their Wrath by Devin Madson
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (maybe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

This story follows three POVs. A glassblower, Tesha, who becomes an “insult bride” in hopes of committing sabotage after her city is taken over. A laundress, Naili, who works for an alchemist and soon finds herself growing flowers and getting wrapped up with a group of radicals. And finally a dragon rider, Ash, who begins asking more questions than he should and realizes everything might not be what it seems and that perhaps answers could lie in history that has been erased and written over.
As war approaches these three characters all find themselves in the middle of a political landscape where no one seems to be truthful and everyone could be dangerous. The question is who is really in control pulling the strings?
The first half of this book was a bit slow for me. It throws you right in and this world is complex and very different to other fantasies I have read. The second half definitely sped up for me and once I had a grasp on the characters and each of their storylines I couldn’t wait to see where each of their stories went.
I think overall this series could become a favorite of mine just based on how much world building went into this one and where I can see things going in the future. The political landscape of this book is so complex and interesting with so many different players that I am sure there will be twists coming that I won’t expect. I do think what hurts this book however is that it doesn’t really feel like it has a beginning, middle and end of its own. This purely feels like just the beginning of a larger story, which is fine but personally I feel like each book in a series still needs its own arc, at least to some extent.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this arc in return for my honest review!

Check out Between Dragons and Their Wrath on August 27!

For a book with Dragons in the title, I was turned off by the opening POV chapters which are very political and not dragon-y at all. Not to mention Tesha's malcontent activist trope and Naili's lusty laundress thing right off the bat were off putting and really didn't help me place them in this narrative. It did get better as the world-building unfolded in interesting and inventive ways. That said, still too little dragons, too much romance and bad politicking.

Many thanks to Orbit Books, author Devin Madson, and Netgalley for providing me the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: August 27, 2024

***

4.5 STARS
One of the best fantasy releases of the year!

***

Between Dragons and Their Wrath follows three different characters navigating a world rife with political, socioeconomic, and racial tensions. Two different angsty romances linger on the fringes of the book but do not feel like they steal page time from the central plot.

What an awesome dragon fantasy book! Although dragons’ appearances on-page remains limited, it seems that explosive events are to come with dragons at the center.

I love how each of the three different character POVs give you a look at distinct pieces of this lushly built fantasy world. We have the privileged aristocratic son who was exiled to the dragon-riding corps of the military but has now collided with ugly truths. Second, a young woman goes undercover in an arranged marriage, planning to destroy the oppressors to her own people from the inside. Lastly, Naili the laundress gets herself embroiled with a criminal gang and a dangerous scientist. Each POV character represents a distinct worldview, from different socioeconomic stations and cultural identities, in separate parts of the broader world. At the start, they feel entirely disconnected, so it was fun to piece together their connections and make predictions based on foreshadowing as the plot unfolded.

Certain plot beats, worldbuilding elements, and characters reminded me of Mistborn (not the magic system!). I think this series is one to watch, because the threads woven here could lead to surprising and massive payoffs in future books.

4 ⭐️
Great world building, dragons & romance? With multiple POVs! This is the one!
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

If I could emphasize one thing to those interested in "Between Dragons and Their Wrath", it's that on a scale of books that are primarily fantasy with romantic subplots and books which are all-out romantasy, the book veers a solid middle ground. It has far more focus on its relationships than I'd expect from the average fantasy novel, but it keeps them at enough distance (and focuses enough on other things) to make them feel a part of a larger story rather than the reason for the story in the first place. I mention this because it's an abnormal blend, and the book may alienate fantasy-first readers when it suddenly veers into an explicit sex scene or has a character in a near-death situation focus extensively on their romantic desires. Romance readers, similarly, may not be sure how to feel about how separated the POVs feel from one another and how little resolution is given at the book's end. This is a traditional fantasy in that much of what happens lays the groundwork for larger forthcoming events. Little payoff is given, and scenes may at a glance seem meandering, but there is a planting and watering of seeds, deliberately placed.

The good news: if you desire this blend, you'll be in for a good time. The writing is smooth, neither lacking in detail nor bogged-down by word choice, and the book has a cast of lovable characters. While they did not work equally well for me, this book is told with three distinct first-person POVs -- which is not an easy feat to accomplish, yet accomplished it is. Each character has personality flaws they are blind to (indeed, they may make choices that make you want to scream at them) but endearing wants and goals. They act, they hold views on the world, they influence the plot, and they sure do like to pine.

Since this is a character-focused book, let's go more into the characters.

Tesha: A commoner willingly wedded into a high-ranking family for political reasons. She is intelligent, has formulated strong opinions on the political situation of her world, and has a devotion to her beliefs that brought me to her side early on. As she becomes more entrenched in the political machinations of the world, she must be cautious and hold back, causing her to struggle to balance her own morals with the new high life she lives day-to-day, including when she's faced with unexpected upsides. She is socially isolated from peers during the second half of the novel, giving her POV an exploratory but almost anxious feel (which goes away during the pining/sex parts). I wasn't big on her romantic escapades, but they were enjoyable enough, and there are a few interesting dynamics being set up that I'd like to see followed (between her and Kiren especially).

Naili: This character is very horny. Sorry, let me back that up: This character cleans laundry for a powerful alchemist to make end's meet. She is practical, strong-willed, driven, and a bit hot-headed. She is also never more than 3 sentences away from wanting to bone the attractive person she's talking to, be they friend, foe, or other. This at first annoyed me, but when I realized it was going to be a character trait of hers, it actually became a fun game to count how long she could go without thinking about fucking someone (not long). Her story involves a mysterious power that awakens within her and is the most entwined with the magic of the world, and she grew on me by the end, but unfortunately the sheer lust of this character made her too much for me.

The third character, Ash, is by far my favorite. A part of this is because he's a dragon rider and his interactions with his dragon are wonderful. The battles he partakes in stand out as some of the best chapters of the book, and the dynamic he holds with both his dragon and those around him is a delight. His personality is a blend of non-malicious arrogance (he was raised as a noble and is in some ways aware of how this affects him and in some ways not) with a desire to do right, and I couldn't help but root for him. His romance is also subtler and easier to invest in than the rest, being centered around the longing for his long-time companion/servant, Mana. The relationship between Ash and Mana is quite good, and their plot causes them to travel around the world while exploring different facets of their bond.

Lastly, because I am legally obligated to talk about dragons:

Despite the title mentioning them and dragons not appearing in most of the book (being prevalent only at the start/end), I do not count this as a strike because they are vital to the story and signs indicate they will be central to the coming sequels. The one dragon character we do get is wonderful, and what we know of the species as a whole is fascinating.

Between Dragons and their Wrath is the first book in The Shattered Kingdom series.

Initially you are thrown right in the middle of the story and I’ll admit I had a hard time getting into it because of that. It took me a bit to figure out what was going on, but once I did, I was hooked.

The story follows three main characters (all told from a first person point-of-view), each from different social backgrounds trying to navigate this world full of political intrigue and secrets. Even though they did not interact with each other, it was interesting to see how they were all connected. Just when you’re starting to get answers, it does end with an abrupt cliffhanger!

I truly only had two grievances with the book. The first, that the dragons weren’t as prominent as I was hoping. (The dragon that we DO meet is easily my favorite character though.) The second is that most of the spicy scenes felt so out of place within the story. One character in particular honestly needed to be put in Horny Jail.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book and will absolutely be reading the next in the series!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

It's safe to assume most folks who read fantasy books have a fondness for dragons. But would you take a concoction that will lay you out and cause detrimental long term effects to speak with them?

"Between Dragons and Their Wrath" starts Devin Mason's new series The Shattered Kingdoms. There is a basin, many city states are in it, but are under the boot of one power (they have dragons). But a "bold" move to consolidate power doesn't sit well with some folks. Tesha, becomes positioned to disrupt the highest levels of government via a combo of hopeful poisoning and a My Fair Lady situation. Naili is growing plants and she is freaking out. While working for an alchemist she is exposed to something that is having rather odd effects. Oh and the mob wants in on that. Ashadi, aside from his drug issues and being a family black sheep seems to be doing great, he's a dragon rider. Oh wait that goes poorly.

Reasons to read:
-Multi pov fantasy story with scheming at the highest levels and the possibility for insane fallout
-Dragons with a bit of different twist
-Illegal plot reveals at the end of the book
-Rather enjoy a lot of the side characters as well

Cons:
-This is book 1 so you have to wait for more after finishing (out August 27, 2024)

I think there were a lot of good things in this book. Tesha and Ash’s storylines were interesting and I would be interested in continuing the series to see those plot lines progress. I didn’t really enjoy Naili’s POV but I did like seeing all of the little connections between the characters.

I think I have settled on 3.5 stars. This took me a while to get into. For the first few chapters I had a really hard time staying invested in what was going on (which was really not much). I didn't find any of the characters immediately likable, I wasn't sure if the writing was working for me, and the chapters were soooo long. But eventually we got there, and I found myself wrapped up in all of the political intrigue and conspiracies.

There are lots of moving pieces, and connections being made at all times, which I loved and ultimately ate up. Honestly while I was reading it, I was disappointed that the second book isn't out because there is no way I am capable of remembering all of the plot-lines and details which I think is definitely a positive. I feel like the best stories are layered and complex and difficult to summarize so this book definitely checked that box for me. Tesha's character and POV were probably my favorite, I was devouring the tension and secrets and danger in her story. Ashadi is our dragon rider, and while there honestly isn't a huge focus on the dragons in this book, I enjoyed his storyline and his relationship with Mana. Naili was probably my least favorite, but she grew on me a lot and her POVs got more interesting as the book progressed. Her initial chapters just really threw me off, I'm not afraid of some smut or on page sexy thoughts but she's obnoxiously horny (to the point that it's a little uncomfy) and I just didn't love being in her head lol. Once her storyline actually had a plot, it got a lot easier to not cringe when I saw her name at the top of a new chapter.

I actually loved the ending, but I do feel like there could have been more laced throughout the book to make the pacing a bit more even. It sort of felt like too much was dumped on the reader at the very end, when it could have been maybe spread out to make it feel like the book wasn't finally starting in the last 50 pages. I did overall enjoy this story and I absolutely would read the next book.

Unfortunately I found this one quite boring. None of the characters truly captured my attention. The only perspective I looked forward to was Ash's. I found myself not wanting to continue with this book.

Honestly this book really surprised me!

I become interested from the blurb if the book because of the uniqueness of the jobs of the characters and really that was only the beginning.

I found this world SO creative, there is so much interesting world building, it’s multi-POV and I found all the characters we follow have interesting and unique storylines.

It was a little slow to build up and you are definitely dropped right into the world but I just found everything so unique I’m very excited to continue with this series

If you are looking for a book like Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings or Samantha Shannon’s Priory of the Orange Tree I think this is a read for you!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Between Dragons and Their Wrath by Devin Madsen is a third person multi-POV fantasy. Tesha agrees to marry a member of the ruling class in order to bring them down, Ash has been exiled to the outskirts of his nation and has become a dragon rider, and Naili is a laundress working for a respected alchemist. Things don't go well as Tesha’s former flame struggles to let her go, Naili.and the other laundress discover fungi and plants growing on their skin, Ash is not ready to go back home to the Romm family

All three POVs are connected to each other via family members and/or romantic relationships but they don't know each other. Tesha was previously in a relationship with Ash’s brother, Uvao, is still in love with him, and needs him to teach her how to act like a member of the upper society, all while both of them know that she broke off their relationship because he was a member of said society, a group of people she hates for colonizing their nation. Tesha is very politically motivated and we get a lot of the first hints of the history of the world through her eyes and the different parts and pieces that are moving to take control back. Out of all of the POVs, she was probably my favorite, not only for the romantic moments, but because she has a very clear goal and everyone around her is trying to manipulate her through that goal to get what they want.

Ash’s POV initially reads more like an old Western with dragons. He lives in a desert with his team as well as Mana, his lover and Niali’s brother, and his dragon partner who can communicate with after drinking a potion. On a similar normal patrol, Ash is out keeping the monsters at bay when he sees a bullet coming from the sand, which shouldn’t be possible because there shouldn’t be other people present. Ash makes a decision to return to the capital to warn the government about what he saw but other parties are trying to cover it up.

Niali is a laundress who spends her days working and flirting with her coworkers in the house of an alchemist. Naili is frustrated by the imperialism and colonization around her but keeps her head down instead of making a fuss. Until she and her coworkers are covered in strange flora with no hope of getting it removed. To make matters worse, the alchemist she works for is unwilling to help her.

I would recommend this to fans of high fantasy with an old Western vibe, readers of multi-POV fantasy who like forbidden romance subplots, and those looking for a dragon fantasy with anti-imperialism themes.

Sadly, I did not enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. The characters were so confusing to me that I had a hard time keeping my focus and couldn't keep pace with the story. As for the premise of the story, it seems very interesting, so I'm sure other people will also find this one very intriguing.

P.S. If you are expecting a book filled with dragons this is not the one. Though they are mentioned there isn't a focus on them as suggested by the Title and cover.

I wanted to like this book, I really did, but I struggled with several parts of it that I think could have been helped with better editing.
Firstly, everyone is so. thirsty. all. the. time....
And that includes in moments where they really need to be focusing on something else. One of the POV characters, especially, basically is just horny as her only character trait. My second issue was the lack of dragons, although I loved how they were written and the personality of the one we do meet. Maybe they'll be bigger in following books? The plot was rough, but I think that's mostly a result of me struggling with the three first person POV situation. I did love the worldbuilding, and I enjoyed a lot of the characters, but I simply couldn't get myself to be invested in the plot because it felt sort of all over the place. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my (probably too) honest review.