This was an interesting and different take on dragons and a nice continuation of the first story. I am still struggling with the shifter love interest, as it seems very awkward in this instance for me, which isn’t always the case, Overall it was a decent story and I stayed mostly engaged. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars rounded up. I love this story and its characters so much. Aside from that, I want to point out the flawless way the author integrated nonbinary rep. It was so woven into the society and story, it was seamless. Just people being people in a well developed world. I did find it slightly harder to connect to Sorin, but she grew on me eventually! I remember when I read Dragonfall, I dove in blind, finished the book, and then sadly realized I would have to wait for book 2. Now that I’ve read it, I can confidently say it exceeded my expectations. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC, opinions are my own and given freely!

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

While I am a bit underwhelmed, I liked how this duology introduced interesting world building, a linguistically sound fantasy language and managed to resolve everything in two books. It was also cute and queer, signing pronouns sounds like a wonderful idea. Overall a bit predictable but I had fun, so whatever. Another insomnia read for me, yay.

4 stars

It was truly captivating to pick back up with the characters after the jaw dropping ending of Dragonfall, and the multiple POVs continued to create such an enjoyably intense pace that I was constantly on edge waiting to find out what happened next. And I must say, what happened next was brilliant. This was a perfect conclusion to the duology whilst still leaving the door open to explore beyond the tale of our beloved Arcady and Everen if desired.

I highly enjoyed the magic system of this world and loved exploring it deeper in this book. The world building was imaginative and easy to follow, and the dreamer was a riveting plot line. Following the themes from Dragonfall, this book continued to include queer representation at its core which I greatly appreciated. The writing style flowed smoothly and the voice of each character came across as uniquely identifiable making the story progress seamlessly and captivating my every emotion.

Emberclaw by LR Lam - eBook ARC provided by NetGalley

If you thought book one was good, Emberclaw just took things to a whole new, fire-breathing level. L.R. Lam proves once again that they're an absolute master of character development and immersive storytelling. With stolen magic, hidden identities, and dragons banished to the shadows—then hunted by wraiths—it’s a fantasy feast that keeps delivering page after page.

The story crackles with suspense, especially as bonds between characters are tested (and sometimes heartbreakingly broken). And let’s talk about those trials—this isn’t your tired “fight to the death in an arena” setup. Lam gives us challenges that feel fresh, layered, and genuinely meaningful to the story. Throw in love stories that made my heart ache in the best way, a beautifully diverse cast, and writing so good it practically glows off the page, and you’ve got yourself a standout sequel.

In short: I’m obsessed. Emberclaw cements L.R. Lam as an auto-buy author for me, and this series? Pure magic.

This was a really satisfying conclusion to the story that began in Dragonfall. This duology continues to do interesting things with POV, tense, and gender and all of the thread that unraveled in book 1 get woven in during this book. I was really interested in what we learn about the division between worlds and the dreamer and what we just let be true without thinking too hard. I also apprecaited the structure of the tournament as a way to tie Arcady and Sorin together and how Sorin's story wraps up. I will say, if we even got another novel in this world after the end of this novel, I wouldn't be mad! Drink this book: enjoy with a Zinfandel that is so dark it's almost purple.

Thank you DAW and Netgalley for the ARC!

This was such a great ending to the series! I loved the exploration more of how the world was split and the actions of humans/dragons that had led to the wraiths. The first few chapters, with Everen being treated so painfully and Arcady doubting him was SO PAINFUL. But also so beautiful, learning to trust each other again after that pain. I loved the added depth that Sorrin and Cassia got in this series, and even the other side characters getting more backstory, such as Larkin, added to the story. I appreciated that the ending was satisfying, but not in the way you thought it would be.

Overall, I loved that this was a series about how important it is to learn to trust others, even if you had spent your entire life being told to hate them or having cause to hate them. We so often assume our worldview or our way of life is the only correct one, but if you don't spend time learning about others and learning to trust those who are different, are you really better than the people you claim are evil?

Saying goodbye to Everen and Arcady is painful, but I have a feeling I will be revisiting this world soon.

Emberclaw was such a solid and fantastic duology ender. I loved the multiple POV particularly because Lam is able to explore themes of prophecy and agency. We can think that a future is set in stone, but what happens when what we think isn't the whole story? What role do we have in our own life? The power to re-write the ending? Fresh off the destruction wrought and the promise of more to come, Emberclaw hits the ground running. It's about the danger they post not only to fate, but also themselves and the ones they love.

To me, this was even better than Dragonfall. I definitely felt the progression of the story, the deepening of the world building, and of course, some very satisfying endings for various characters. I didn't feel like there were a ton of twists and turns, the way that Dragonfall had, but the characters felt like they matured and evolved. I was also surprised at how much I enjoyed Sorin's backstory as well. I feel like it was a really necessary addition to the story.

"By silver, by blood, by bone."


I loved Dragonfall, but Emberclaw was somehow even better. We had trials, prophecies, magical training... There were so many of my favourite tropes.

I adore these characters so much, this is definitely a favourite duology of mine. I am going to have the biggest book hangover now, aren't I?

I will always love a queer normative world, with an intricate magic system. All the different viewpoints tied it together.

This was such a beautiful ending to the series, especially because of how much the first one had my heart.

Thank you to L.R Lam, the publisher & NetGalley for giving me an E-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I couldn't get past the first few chapters, I felt like the two MC"s being worlds apart did them no favors. Plot was a bi far fetched for me (even with dragons)

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher DAW for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: death, abuse, drug addiction, references to plague, injury, violence

Carrying on from the end of ‘Dragonfall’, ‘Emberclaw’ starts with Arcady about to achieve their dream- attending the university to seek the truth of their grandfather’s death, if under an entirely fake name- but it’s at a terrible price. Having once been bound to the dragon Everen, Arcady now assumes he is dead and their grief affects all aspects of their life, especially when it becomes clear they’ve only got enough money to last a year at university. When a series of long abandoned magical trials are reinstated, promising free tuition for anyone who can make it through alive, Arcady jumps at the chance- but every night their dreams are tormented by Everen and the love they’d just begun to accept. Once the only male of all dragons and the hope for the future of his kind, Everen is now a prisoner in the burning world of Vere Celene. Allowed out only because of his gifts for scrying the future, Everen is stripped of his title and he struggles to find his place among dragons who hate him. One of the only things keeping him going is dreams of Arcady and a belief that he needs to return to Arcady’s world to bring about a future where humanity and dragons once again live in harmony. Arcady and Everen must battle their way back to each other, past the numerous threats in their lives (including the rise of Sorin, an unassuming acolyte watching Arcady intently) to mend their bond- and save two worlds depending on them.

I loved the first book of this duology so much and I was so glad to be approved for a chance to read this one too. ‘Dragonfall’ is a truly unique take on dragons and soul bonds and ‘Emberclaw’ takes this further, even as Arcady and Everen are separated. I loved getting to see Arcady at university and developing their skills further, especially as they’re forced to associate with a wider range of people. Their relationship with Sorin especially, even if it was mostly a trick, was one of my favourite parts of ‘Emberclaw’. Everen has also come far from the spoiled (and a little entitled) prince of the first book and he really shines here after his time with Arcady, stepping up despite the dragons’ hatred for his previous actions. His relationship with his sister Cassia is so well written, they’re more alike than they realised and that works in their favour. Here Sorin finally gets to shine, we met her only briefly in ‘Dragonfall’; her crisis of faith, her blind loyalty and her own gradual journey swiftly made her into one of my favourite characters. L.R. Lam has created an incredible relationship in Arcady and Everen, their longing and hurt feelings were palpable through the page and you could feel the aching they had to be reunited- even with the things they both did earlier. Fate and prophecy might have dragged Arcady and Everen together but I kept reading because this is a gorgeous world, full of powerful characters, incredibly high stakes and the most unexpected relationships and connections. I would love more from this world, especially if it includes Sorin or Cassia.

I’ve been waiting to read this one ever since I was fully captivated by Dragonfall. Sometimes there’s a fear that the next book won’t do the justice needed but that was not the case here. I loved the writing style and story, and how the characters continued to grow and shape throughout the book. It was everything I needed in the conclusion to the series and I can’t wait to be able to pick up physical copies of these for my bookshelf.

A gripping and worthy follow up to the brilliant Dragonfall. It is worth the wait. I appreciated the recap at the beginning too - this should be standard for all fantasy novel series with long gaps in between publication dates as it makes it so much easier to dive back into the story. I loved the magical trials theme for Arcady which was exciting to read- and Everen's quest to return to Arcady's world in order to try and save his own people. It's an odd but compelling queer love story but with an added twist that it is between a human and a dragon. It is written so beautifully that in the end it is just a love story between two people who are trying to understand each other and find their way back to each other. I loved the Sorin sub-plot too - and felt every bit of her struggle to be free of her bonds - the end of her story felt very satisfying, In fact the resolution of Emberclaw was very satisfying - and left just enough open for a third installment if the author wished to tell Cassia's story! I will say no more in case I spoil the plot for others!

I was really excited for this installment to come out but sadly I didn’t live it as much as I did the first one. I was really excited for the aftermath after the dragons finally came down and sadly that did not live up to my expectations and it got a bit confusing from there for me.

Emberclaw was a great conclusion to this duology. I loved the dynamic and tension between Arcady and Everen. Sorin was definitely one of my favorite characters here, and I would love to read a spin off of her story. This book also got a lot more into the political and magical side of this world, and you could really tell how much thought went into the development of its integration into the story. The book ended on a really satisfying note, despite the couple of loose ends. I would totally read other books based on the Marricks or Cassia. All in all, I loved it!

Thank you Netgalley and DAW for this ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed returning to the world of Dragon Scales in "Emberclaw." The dark academia setting was captivating, and the fast-paced plot kept me engaged despite some predictable elements. Arcady and Everen's reunion was a highlight, though I wouldn't have minded more romance. While some plot points felt convenient, the blend of magic, dragons, and political intrigue was undeniably entertaining. Though I wish it had been a trilogy to allow for more development, I ultimately found "Emberclaw" a satisfying conclusion, and I loved seeing the characters' fates resolved.

While Dragonfall took me a few tries to read in full, Emberclaw insttantly drew me in with the dark academic setting. Magic, dragons, assassins. The magical trials and mysteries enhanced the story even more. Arcady and Everen finding their way back to each had me cheering and smiling nonstop! I found the pacing a lot better this go. The author did great balancing deadly secrets, political intrigue and the academic stuff so effortlessly. The thing that was lacking was more about their relationship. Some of the plot was rather predictable but I still enjoyed it.

I was provided with an advanced copy of this book by the publisher for an honest review. I have read Dragonfall, the first title. This second title follows Arcady and Averen through Arcady’s start of university - learning more complex magic. It took me a while to get into this sequel, but I am glad I did. By the second half I really couldn’t put it down. Some great characters feature and I would recommend this to fantasy readers who enjoy dragon stories with action, and a love story that isn’t overly heavy on the steam in the bedroom! :)

Sadly this one wasn’t for me, but I hope everyone else LOVES it! The writing is still excellent and I’d read the authors works again, but the story—for me—just wasn’t hitting the spot.