- magic trials
- academy setting
- fated lovers
- yearning dreams
- dragons
- duology

i am so happy, this book was everything i wanted it to be and i had such a great time back in this world.

emberclaw follows arcady, everen, and sorin (icon!) after the events of dragonfall and shows how they deal with the aftermath of what they experienced.

everen’s pov was already my favorite but now he is truly one of my favorite book characters. everything he does, he does for love and it is just so apparent how much he loves arcady. the relationship between arcady and everen makes me cry, it was so sweet and tender. my favorite dragon and bonded rider forever. so so happy we got to see their relationship heal and take a new shape in light of book one’s ending.

arcady's entire arc was everything i wanted. it was a rollercoaster of emotions, but it felt so natural and raw which i understand is the point with how everything wraps up.

i loved getting more of sorin’s character in this book too and see her journey in finding her place and herself. seeing her friendship with arcady was beautiful, truly a dynamic duo.

the writing is the perfect balance between romance, action, and world building. the characters each had an ending that felt true to them and it is bittersweet to be done with these books. i was captivated by this world, the prose just grabs you and you become so invested.

✶ thank you netgalley, l.r. lam, and daw publishing for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review ✶

I loved Dragonfall and i was really worried that Emberclaw would ruin the story for me, or ruin Arcady and Everen's Relationship irreversably.
However I am not disappointed and this book exceeded my expecations. Lam wraps up all the open plot points and leaves nothing unsaid. The plot thickens and the stakes get higher and Arcady and Everen are as wonderful as ever.

This book was a lot better the Dragonfall. The pace, the plot and the writer was much better. This was a great sequel!

I once again found myself captivated by this world and all who inhabit it. Emberclaw truly welcomed me back home again, and I am so thankful.

“It was you, and me, slowly catching fire.”

I already was in love with these characters, but I fell harder this time. I enjoyed learning more about Sorin’s story and her impact on fate. Arcady and Everen, of course, were just as enchanting as always. I continued to be amazed by how natural the relationships were and how easily I related to them. The yearning and longing for each other, and for peace, was intoxicating and I could drown in it forever. Every moment was more exciting than the last and I didn’t want it to end.

“We were ephemeral. We were a dream.”

I have already shared my intense love of this world and how it has felt like home to me. But Emberclaw solidified why I feel that way. Despite the turmoil that exists in this story, the promise of having a bond with another soul was so comforting. I was exhilarated by the hope of existing in a world where a love like that can flourish. I could exist in a pool full of the words from this story and never long for anything else.

I cannot thank DAW enough for access to the eARC of this book. I am so grateful for being able to immerse myself in this world once again. Thank you.

I will miss these characters. This was everything I could have asked for in a sequel. It was perfectly happy but left me longing for more of the beautiful world LR Lam created.

Thank you to NetGalley, DAW, and L.R. Lam for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this title!

The Veil is sealed, and in the ashes of their failed plots Arcady carries on with their plan to infiltrate the University of Vatra in clearing their family name and acting out their revenge against those who wronged them. With only a year of their studies paid off (if they can also "work" on the side), their days become consumed with magic, while their nights are haunted by a certain red-haired dragon. Imprisoned, loathed, and stripped of their title, Everen seeks a path to redemption - both from his dragon kin and the human who plagues his sleeping hours - while fighting the wraiths that have begin to choke the sky as much as the volcano smoke of Vere Celene, and he wonders if he can carve a path for dragons and humans before the island breathes its last. As prophecies come to pass in Evern's world, and arcane magical university trials with a grand prize of full tuition are reinstated in Arcady's, can the star-crossed lovers come together once again to defeat the ancient evil lurking in the shadows between - and within - their realms?

This was an incredible and heartfelt conclusion to the Dragon Scales duology, and Arcady and Everen have been flying with me for the last couple of days since I've finished their tale. If you craved the yearning enemies-to-lovers, arcane magic, prophetic foreshadowing, shadowed secrets, bands of misfits, disability rep, trauma healing, dragon hierarchy, complex family dynamics, LGBTQIA+ societal norms, and religious secret society, AND you love a good university/academy trial, even more found family, arcane and infinite forces, and a little bit of spice, I think you will find peace (and maybe, like me, a hunger for more from Lumet) and adventure in "Emberclaw".

I requested the ARC for this after reading and really enjoying the first book in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and L.R Lam for the advance copy in order for me to provide an honest review.

The story kicks off where the last book concluded. With the main characters who are separated in different worlds, one must pose as a student at a magical university and the other must work out what his visions mean. Despite this they must still work together to find out about the Plaguebringer.

I absolutely love books with dragons in - they are my guilty pleasure in reading and this book did not disappoint.

The story is both fantastic in the character development and the plot action. The author has a brilliant way of both drawing you in and keeping you entertained. In many ways this book was hard to put down.

I particularly loved reading more about Sorin- one of the supporting characters, and the complexity and questioning of their beliefs. It was rather enlightening in some ways to me in the way it dealt with the complexity of following your dreams, and was in many ways incredibly thought-provoking.

Overall I think this was my favourite of the two books - possibly because I was used to the magic system and characters, but I also feel the storytelling was improved.

I would easily recommend this book to readers who enjoy books about dragons, fated mates, games and trials, academia, slow burn romance, multiple POVs, magic, intricate world building.

Rating 4.5 Stars

An amazing follow up to Dragonfall. I love dragons and couldn’t wait to get my hands on the second half of the Dragon Scales duology. Well written and super interesting.

4.5⭐️

After reading Dragonfall, I was so thankful to receive an ARC of Emberclaw and have the opportunity to immediately continue Everen and Arcady’s story.

I really enjoyed this book and found myself unable to put it down at several points. The setting, mystery solving, and trial-nature of this second book was so enthralling. There’s a subtlety and tenderness to the connections between characters in these books that I really appreciated. I look forward to reading more from L.R. Lam in the future!

The conclusion of the Dragon Scales duology sees us rejoin Arcady and Everen in a tale of intrigue and romance with dragons! Whilst Arcady battles through magical trials on their quest to find the truth about their family, Everen fights to save not only his family, but the whole of dragonkind.
I was really excited to receive this ARC as I thought the concept of Dragonfal was great and I was looking forward to seeing how the story wrapped up.
I enjoyed the writing style much more, it felt more immersive and easier to sink into. I found the use of the second person perspective more natural as well as the reason behind it had already been established.
I loved the university scenes. Seeing Arcady's dual nature, on one hand making friends with the students, on the other picking locks and rifling through documents, was really fun.
I was a little disappointed with the ending as I wasn't quite sure how everything was connected. I would have liked another chapter from Cassia to answer some of those questions.
Overall I enjoyed this read and it's easy to see how much effort went in to creating the world and the magic system. I hope Lam revisits the world at some point!
Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for the ARC.

I f you weren’t in love with the dragon yet (which I highly doubt if you read Dragonfall) prepare to fall for Emberclaw.

Hunger games meets House of Dragons. Trials, fated lovers, and a plot so knotted you’ll be wishing this were a trilogy.

Emberclaw follows Everen & Arcady’s story post Dragonfall.

Despite a broken bond thought to have separated Everen & Aracady they soon find that fate has not loosened its hold on either of them. Arcady is to face trials in hopes of furthering her education at Loc University and Everen is left to pick up the puzzle pieces and encrypted visions that have finally returned to him. One cannot complete their end goal without the other’s help. Without their bond & on separate worlds, the stakes are higher than ever and they are predestined to fail.

This read had me at the edge of my seat. The action packed sequel had my heart racing, palms sweating and I was constantly on high alert.

I deeply enjoyed the character development and depth we get from side character and the MC’s. Arcady’s fitful war between her emotions and her self preservation. Everen’s fight against what is expected of him and what he desires for himself. Sorin’s journey into choosing herself over patriarchal love that has turned abusive. Side note: Kelwyn’s comic relief has made him into one of my favorite side characters, would love the recipe for those lavender biscuits.

Sorin’s journey is just as beautiful. It reminds me of Gustave Dore’s war in Heaven. It’s a multifaceted depiction of authority and autonomy. The fine line between good and evil, the impossible battle living within each of us who attempt to be good, the weight of the choices we are told are correct ones but feel wrong to ourselves. The grief, pain and shame in thinking differently than said authoritative figures and how difficult it is to pick yourself up after you rebel against what was once your system of beliefs.

Everen & Arcady have a special place in my heart. The path towards healing and mending these two go through is so realistic I found myself relating to both of them whereas I tend to favor one MC over another. There’s a point in life where we struggle to find balance in fitting into someone’s life, having someone fit into ours or we give up and focus solely on ourselves. It’s a difficult balance where most tend to burn the candle at both ends. Between exhaustion, heartache and being faced with the impossibility of never having enough time we often give up any attempt at reaching for anything we might desperately dream of. L. R. Lam illustrated so many nuanced phases in life so that anyone can dive into the Lumet and find hope for their own happy ending.

I pride myself in being able to recognize plot endings fairly quick (usually these don’t make my 5 star books) but I have absolutely no clue where this will end. Just as captivating as Dragonfall. A beautiful ending to the series.


Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for providing an Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was a fan of Dragonfall and this did not disappoint. Actually as a whole I think I enjoyed this sequel even more than the first. The word building is great and anything that has dragons, magic, academia and trials is a must read for me!!! Loved this book and can't wait to see more from this author!

To be honest, I requested this before reading the first book because I wanted to read them in succession. Which I think is not the right way to do it. These books are incredibly neat and interesting the way that they're written, but because of that they're also a little heavy and dense. I did enjoy both books, but this one I did like significantly more than the first. I love an academia setting, and even though I think trials are overdone in general these days, this one felt fresh and exciting. I really liked Arcady, and the slow burn and tension she had with Everen was something sorely missing from a lot of fantasy these days! Overall this felt like a very new reading experience that I don't know how often I'll get the chance to experience in the future, and I thank you for that!

ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher, DAW, in exchange for an honest review.

When I read Dragonfall, I fell in love with the universe, Lam's worldbuilding, and character development. So much so that I messaged her on Instagram and BEGGED her if I could read an ARC. I was directed to NetGalley, where I waited and waited and waited until I could request it. Emberclaw met and exceeded all of my heightened expectations that I had for this universe and characters.

Arcady finally gets to go to university, where she studies and investigates the Plaguebringer's true background. While being separated from Everen but in all-too-close proximity to Soren, who turns out to have quite the amazing character arc, this sequel takes quite the route of twists and turns we love in fantasy novels. I love L.R. Lam's take on dragon bonding, magic systems, and distributions of power in society. Even though the beginning was off to a slower start, I appreciated what I got to learn about the university, which was essential to Arcady's character development. We learn more about Cassia and Vere Celene as the dragon's land's health continues to diminish. I truly felt immersed in this novel, and I lowkey wish I could live it. What makes this story even more special is the multi-POV technique that Lam uses, but it's all to help immerse the reader in more. Arcady's is first person, Everen's uses first and second, while Sorin's is in third. Seeing these intentional techniques are rare nowadays, and I appreciated the intent and execution Lam put into Emberclaw. The story is beautiful, and I would love to see more about how dragons and humans interact after watching Arcady and Everen forge a beautiful, golden bond.

I really loved Dragonfall and feel so lucky to have gotten an advanced copy of EMBERCLAW. Just like the first book, I really enjoyed this one. The world Lam built is amazingly intricate. Magic, dragons, friendship, love… <3 Oh, and if you forgot what happened in the first book, there’s an excellent recap right at the beginning!

You all know I'm a sucker for a dragon book and this one was the perfect sequel to Dragonfall. Will be recommending to everyone I know

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for Emberclaw by L.R. Lam.

This felt completely different from Dragonfall. I thought this improved upon several areas from the last book. The pacing was much better and I got more accustomed to the author's writing style (with the multiple POV's). Arcady didn't annoy me as much in this book. I felt like they grew up a little as a result of the higher stakes. The characters were much more fun in this one. I loved watching the relationship develop between Arcady and Sorin. Honestly, Arcady and Sorin were more fun to read about then Arcady and Everen at times. In the first book, I also wasn't connected to Arcady's group (Kelwyn and the Marricks). But, I really liked their new "friend" group in this book with Willem, Edin, and Professor Hayden.

This also just had more of the things I find interesting in fantasy books. I have just never really been a fan of heist books so the first one just wasn't as interesting to me. I also felt like they kept alluding to Arcady's past betrayal in book 1, but never fully explored it so it fell flat. But, book 2 had a very different setting with the magical university and the trials that kept me more engaged.

The part I (still enjoyed but) found least interesting was Vere Celene. I think the dynamic between Everen, his mother, his sister, and the other dragons just didn't really do it for me. I enjoyed reading his relationships with humans rather than the other dragons (besides Magnus). I also felt like the mystery of Arcady's grand sire felt a little anticlimatic for me. It felt like that mission was forgotten about at times in this book and when it popped up at the end, it felt a little jarring. I think it could have been weaven through the story better instead of a few reminders being thrown in every few chapters.

Overall, vast improvement! 4 stars.

Ohh my god this book was amazing! From the storyline to the characters, I was never bored and always captivated reading this.
I'm so excited for Emberclaw to be out because i enjoyed it so much 😭🩷

It took a moment to get back into this world. But once I did, I loved it.

This world pulled me in again. And the characters only make it all so much better. Even the magic system is so intriguing. Not to mention all the lore and history.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fantasy read with an intriguing world and a romance you don't want to miss.

Includes:
Dragons
Divination
Secrets
Complicated feelings

What a great end to the duology! Sometimes I get nervous to read the second book with fear that it will not live up to the hype of the first book; however, I thought Emberclaw was even better than Dragonfall.

In this story, you follow Arcady's journey at the university, Sorin's assignment from Magnus, and Everen's struggles with his family. This book picks up right where you left off, and I absolutely love that there is a recap of Dragonfall at the beginning of the book so that you do not miss any key information. I enjoyed having more of Sorin's point of view, and I thought that Emberclaw was very fast-paced which kept me intrigued the entire time. Getting to see Arcady grow and progress in their friendships at the university was heartwarming, and you couldn't help for root for them to achieve a better life. I thought that the trials lead to a very complete conclusion to the end of the duology!