Four initiates take their places at Eshtem University in hopes of being selected to learn magic, interact with dragons, and become part of an elite order of peacekeepers. Jadon is the privileged High Prince of one of the War Houses who assumed his place among the Edrei was predetermined. Jenne is a commoner who remembers nothing about her life prior to her enrollment at the university. Princess Christina is the first royal of her House to attend Esthem in a century, and she is determined to perform well. Diar is the thread that links all these characters together, forging unlikely friendships and allegiances despite this society's rigid expectations of loyalty to one's house.

I enjoyed the mixture of POVs in this story, the academic setting, the hint of corruption within this supposedly idealistic Order, and the set up for a complex political and magical system. I wish we learned more about the magic system and history of this world, but I hope that as the series progresses we will learn more as the characters progress through their education. This story takes quite a bit of time to establish the characters and weave their threads together, which I liked. There is so much potential for where this story can lead, and I am definitely interested in reading a sequel. I am hoping the end set us up for some great found family dynamics in the future!

I would hesitate to compare this book to Fourth Wing, as the school setting is the main thing these 2 books have in common. Dragons play a very small role in this book as the first year initiates have very limited interaction with them (although I am hoping there will be more dragons in future installments).

Thank you Angry Robot & Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This one was 50/50 for me.
- I enjoyed the world building and the authors ease to be able to carry and tell a story well.
- I enjoyed some of the characters, some I just didn’t like or care for.
- I will always enjoy povs, I wish we got some more emotion and depth from the characters though.
- the book is heavy on political fantasy, so it took me a while to read this as I have to be in the right frame of mind to read that, however that is just me.
- I feel as though the world building was setting up for the other books in this series, this is book one so is understandable.
- the pace was slow, so another reason it took me a while to read as I kept leaving and coming back to try and finish it.

All in all I enjoyed the world building and some of the characters and the world seems like it has potetiyfor future books, however I’m a vibe reader and it took me a while to read this, however if you like political high fantasy books with some academia, I would recommend you this book

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an arc copy!

I went into The Ellyrian Code completely blind—not even sure what I was in for. I’ve been deep in my fantasy era lately (someone please drop those sequel release dates 😩), and I picked this up hoping to fill the void. I expected broody royals, dragons, a magical academy divided by ranks and relics. The usual, right?
Wrong. So wrong.
Yes, this story starts with familiar beats—four students at a prestigious magical university, all competing for a place in the Order of the Edrei, aka elite dragon-riding peacekeepers of the realm. But somewhere around the halfway point, it hit me: B.F. Peterson is playing the long game. This isn’t just dragons and drama. It’s a story about legacy, power, and the lies people live with. About who we are when no one’s watching, and what we’ll sacrifice for love, loyalty, or revenge.
We get four POVs here, and while that can sometimes feel chaotic, it totally worked. Each perspective felt distinct and intentional, like pieces of a larger truth slowly falling into place. Character-wise, the cast is diverse and morally complicated in a way that kept me turning pages. Jadon, the high prince trying to outrun his legacy, and Jenne, the girl who has a mysterious gap in memory, were both standout POVs. The personal stakes felt high, and the academic/elite training environment added a fun, competitive energy.

The world-building? Deep. Think religions, languages, political factions—Peterson went all in. But heads up: it’s a “keep your brain on” kind of read. A map and glossary would’ve helped a ton, and I had to reread a few sections just to keep things straight. Still, I stayed locked in because the tension and stakes were worth it.

There are some areas that could use refinement—certain character portrayals and terminology may spark valid conversations. But overall, this is a promising start to a new fantasy series that fans of dragons, dark academia, and tangled destinies will definitely want to check out.

Tropes:
🐉 Dragons and magic ✨
🎓 Elite magical academy
👥 Rivals-to-friends
🧠 Memory loss + hidden past
⚔️ Political intrigue

All in all, The Ellyrian Code is an ambitious, layered start to a new fantasy series that feels like it’s only just beginning to reveal its secrets.

B.F. Peterson’s debut novel, The Ellyrian Code: The Treaty of Edriendor, offers a compelling addition to the epic fantasy genre, blending elements of dark academia with political intrigue. Set within the prestigious Eshtem University, the narrative follows four diverse students—Jadon, Christina, Jenne, and Diar—as they navigate the challenges of becoming members of the elite Order of the Edrei, guardians of dragons and magic.

The novel delves into themes of identity, privilege, and institutional corruption. Each character brings a unique perspective: Jadon, a high prince seeking escape from political machinations; Christina, a princess from a rival house determined to uphold the Order's ideals; Jenne, a commoner with a mysterious past; and Diar, caught between personal loyalties and emerging truths. Their interactions and evolving relationships add depth to the story, highlighting the complexities of friendship and duty.

While the book is marketed as "Fourth Wing meets The Atlas Six," it's important to note that The Ellyrian Code leans more towards introspective character development than action-packed sequences. The presence of dragons and magic is subtle, serving more as a backdrop to the characters' personal journeys and the unfolding political drama. This approach may appeal to readers who appreciate nuanced storytelling and character-driven narratives.

The prose is thoughtful, and the pacing allows for a gradual immersion into the world of Ellyrian. Peterson's background in psychology is evident in the intricate portrayal of her characters' internal conflicts and motivations.
However, readers seeking a fast-paced fantasy with prominent magical elements might find the narrative's focus on character introspection and institutional critique a departure from traditional genre expectations.

In summary, The Ellyrian Code presents a mature and reflective take on fantasy tropes, emphasizing character growth and societal commentary over conventional action. It's a promising start to a series that invites readers to ponder the true meaning of honor and the complexities of institutional power.

This is a solid epic fantasy set in an elite university where magic, politics, and power intersect. The story is rich with character development, and I especially loved Jadon and Christina—complex, flawed, and so well written. The multiple POVs added a lot of depth, showing how each character’s background and beliefs shape their choices.

It’s a slowburn, character-driven read—less about nonstop action and more about the emotional and political stakes. The academic setting creates a unique pressure-cooker atmosphere, and the way the book explores class, privilege, and the question of who deserves power really stood out to me.

The worldbuilding is thoughtful, the themes are timely, and the tension builds beautifully as the characters are forced to confront uncomfortable truths about the order they’ve been taught to revere.

Thanks to Angry Robot for the gifted ARC. If you’re looking for an epic fantasy with layered characters, moral complexity, and slow-building tension, I highly recommend this one.

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

This was superfun! I don’t really agree with the atlas six comparison (though I loved them both), but this was thoroughly entertaining! Lots of politics, characters I genuinely became invested in, and good pacing. I give it 4,8 stars. It would have been a clean 5/5 stars if it wasn’t for the fact that I _hate_ the miscommunication trope which this (kind of) has. The kind of is why I didn’t drop it a star. Absolutely recommend people read this book.

I liked this book. The Ellyrian Code is a political fantasy, with a mixture of high stakes of political intrigue and life in an elite university, where four students compete for a place in the mysterious Order of Ellyria.

What stood out most was the layered storytelling. It digs into themes of institutional corruption, identity, and the cost of ambition. The political side of the story took a huge place in the book; which is not something everyone will love. The pacing felt strong for most of the book and the payoff in the final chapters made it worth the wait. This book definitely has more high fantasy vibes than romantasy!

I liked when the characters feel real; and this book definitely offers that, with their flaws and weaknesses. It feels so much easier to understand them and relate to them!

The worldbuilding is immersive without being overwhelming, and the dragons are made into the plot with purpose, not just to have cool dragons.

A few parts of the story felt slightly dragged out (probably because it is so political centred) and I would’ve loved a bit more emotional depth from one or two of the POVs. But overall this was a good read!

I definitely recommended for fans of Fourth Wing or An Ember in the Ashes (which are books I loved!) or anyone who loves a magic school with secrets and serious stakes.

✧₊‧˚⁀➷ 3.7/5 .ᐟ

ʚɞ ⁺˖ premise .ᐟ follows four students at the prestigious eshtem institute, which is like harvard if harvard had dragons. features jadon, spoiled insufferable prince archetype everyone's seen a million times. christina, out-of-touch princess with a white savior complex (maybe i'm being a bit mean here). there's also diar and jenne, who i have no personality descriptors for because, despite taking up half the story, they don't do anything at all.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ plotline .ᐟ 90% setup for the next book. turtle pacing. nothing happens until the last quarter. jadon, at least, goes out and does things, but again, almost all of it is for the next installment's story. christina's arc is the second most fleshed out, but even then, over half of it is her getting information from a side character rather than her taking any action herself. at least half of jenne's and diar's arcs are them pining over each other, and then the other half is nothing. like i understand they have a lot less power compared to the other two, as they're commoners, but what do they even contribute?

ʚɞ ⁺˖ worldbuilding .ᐟ the only thing diar and jenne were good for, as they provided perspective of the culture and lives of normal people in ellyrian that jadon and christina would never know. overall, quite a highly developed universe, with immersive historical, cultural, and political imagery. the problem is that there's no actual story, so there's no way to remember this information. for context, i read a new-adult fantasy of similar complexity around mid-april, and i can still name all twelve countries and this and that king and side character #324. for the ellyrian code, i had to go find half the characters' names before writing this review, and i read this two weeks ago. all that worldbuilding and setup isn't impactful if there's no action to attract the audience.

one thing i found difficult to understand was how eshtem selected its students. it's meant to be incredibly elite, but they seem to accept literally anyone? half the students are portrayed as morons. these aren't rich people buying their way in either; they're dumb and POOR. and then 3/4 of the students are culled during first-year finals? is that not a ridiculous waste of resources? like how? + the misogyny is questionable. i understand eshtem isn't mainly a war college and the actual academics matter more, but if the girls are supposedly so weak none of them rank in the top 100 in fighting tournaments, and they're despised so much (and believe me, women. are. despised.), how are they getting in? and the majority of the female characters mentioned were also of middling intelligence? (not that the m*n were smart, but they obviously get more leeway with the administration.)

ʚɞ ⁺˖ characters .ᐟ

➺ jadon tu'hatreth. prince of hatreth. invented daddy issues. thinks he's god and everyone indulges him. secretly a softie in his soul, but very little of his actions demonstrate that. yes, i know he's constrained by his father, but this is a very boring, very overdone archetype. i did originally say he'd be more interesting as a female character, but then i actually read the book and it's set in some misogyny infested land circa 1478, so they probably would have set him on fire if he was a girl. he has more character development than everyone else, however, and his insights into the motivations of every other character make the book what it is. he also gets his brain developed in the last couple of chapters, so you can tell he's going to have a fascinating arc in book two. hopefully.

➺ christina tu'noraan. princess of noraan. literal nun. annoyed me so much in the beginning (she mother theresa'd so hard over a bandit that murdered her entire entourage, i ended up pro-cop. very embarrassing for the both of us). the thing about her savior complex is that it's actually extended to all of society, even if she's a bit dense, so she's quite feminist as well, which made me finally stop hating her. i loved her during the tourney and how she articulated her thoughts on representing women in the competition.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ diar who definitely has a last name that i don't remember. has three personality traits: christian, naive, in love with jenne. all he does is study, ponder about jenne this and jenne that, and go on quests for jadon and christina. he's quite literally an npc side character who glitched himself into getting a pov. we find out his importance to the story at the very end, and when does that happen? when he's on a mini quest for jadon. of course. i wish the only black character had a narrative of his own, or at least something a little interesting, but alas.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ jenne whose name i don't remember either. somehow worse off than diar. her main contribution to the story is being an antimonarchist. which is so cool, love that, but she doesn't do anything else. it's just her terrorizing christina when she breathes near diar and that's it. her introduction was gorgeous—she immediately became my favorite from the first time she was mentioned—and then 300 pages of nothing. she was introduced with amnesia and some sort of cult ceremony gone wrong, and somehow neither of these things were utilized within the story?? and the whole romance with diar dragged on and on. the other three characters, even if boring or annoying at most times, showed their relevancy to the plot by the end. jenne? nothing.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ romance .ᐟ so you can tell the motivation for the romance was contextualizing the rishtara(?) culture within ellyrian and not actually romance. which is fine, this is a political fantasy, but it does get to a point where the pen should be put down.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ overall, not really what i expected, so it made for an awkward reading experience. thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy.

This felt like Fourth Wing but with more political depth. Not bad, but I don't think I'll be reaching out for this book for a reread anytime soon.

The Ellyrian Code is absolutely one of my top three favorite books of the year! Getting into Eshtem University is beyond difficult; however, making it to graduation is almost impossible, with only the elite surviving. Jadon, the arrogant and reckless heir of the high prince, just wants to escape his overbearing father, and maybe showoff his physical and intellectual skills. Christina, a princess from a rival house, has always dreamed of attending the University, believing the Order to be the ideal representatives of law and order. When she is involved in a bandit attack on the way to Eshtem, she begins questioning everything she ever believed. Jenne, who has lost all recent memories (also not remembering how this occurred), just knows that, in addition to absolutely hating all nobles and what they stand for, she has always wanted to attend Esthem and prove her worth. Finally, Diar, a naive but determined and charismatic student, finds himself tangled in varying relationships with the other three, which proves to be a huge distraction when he should be focusing on surviving the University.

Seriously, The Ellyrian Code is a fantastic read! I absolutely loved all four of the main characters, with Jadon being my favorite. While the storylines of the main four do connect, bringing the characters together, they all each have their own storylines, including their own groups of friends and enemies. While that meant there were a lot of side characters/friends to remember, it was much more realistic. I truly felt like I was at a college with different friend groups who have varying interests. I found the relationships between each of the main characters to be well-developed and well-written. For me, the characters are what made this book so fantastic. The magic and world-building are also great; however, the characters - YES! The Ellyrian Code is action-packed, fast-paced, and just an overall incredible read. I cannot wait for the next book. I need it NOW! The Ellyrian Code is an easy five stars!

Intricate, thoughtful, and refreshingly different.
The Ellyrian Code isn’t your typical magic school story—it’s layered, political, and character-driven in a way that pulled me in slowly but deeply. The story follows four students at Eshtem University, where the stakes are higher than exams, and peacekeeping is taught alongside dragon-riding and diplomacy.

Each POV character brought something unique to the table, and I really appreciated how their choices were shaped by personal values, background, and the gray areas of morality. The world is complex, and while the magic system wasn’t always fully explained, I didn’t mind—the focus on ethics and power struggles kept me hooked.

It’s a slower-paced read, especially in the beginning, but it’s worth the investment if you like your fantasy thoughtful and a little more grounded. I’m curious to see where the series goes next!

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a complex but really interesting read. I loved the slow reveal of the characters and how their personalities grew with the story, several belong a lot more interesting than they first seem. The world is complicated and the story takes focus but I enjoyed the read.

thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for this eArc!
I reeeaallly wanted to love this! I liked it, but not loved… it definitely felt like fourth wings vibes, but maybe too much. It was much more focused on politics which I enjoyed but I feel like the story overall fell a bit flat to me. I just wanted more in every aspect. Again, I liked it, didn’t love.

This book has all the ingredients I usually love: magic, dragons, an academic setting, and a morally grey fantasy world, but it didn’t quite come together for me the way I’d hoped.

The world-building is rich and ambitious, and the multiple POVs give the story depth, but I struggled to connect with the characters and felt a bit lost in the beginning. The pacing is definitely a slow burn, and while I can appreciate a more patient storytelling style, it left me feeling detached at times.

That said, I liked the ending and the potential the story sets up for future books. If you enjoy intricate world-building and character-driven fantasy that leans more intellectual than action-packed, this might be worth a try. Just be ready to work for it a little.

3 stars.

This is a story with a vast fantasy world while also being extremely character driven.

And while I love character driven stories, I tend to have problems with them when I can't burn for at least one of them. In this way, the book lived up to the Atlas Six comp for me personally.

However, this is purely subjective, so let's get into the rest of it:
The worldbuilding is immense - with regions, religions, politics and even dragons (though don't expect much dragons in book 1 - this might get more in the subsequent books hopefully).
Everything is extremely slow burn, building up characters, the world and the magic system.
And while I like working for my stories and not being spoon-fed everything, this time I felt lost and completely failed to get a good grip on the story. I'd have loved to be taken by the hand a bit more.

When I was about 50% in, I still felt lost, and so it was hard to stay interested.

I really liked the ending though, when I could finally get a feeling for where the story as a whole is headed. I appreciate everything it tries to do and the path it chooses.

3,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @angryrobots for the eARC!

#TheEllyrianCode #Netgalley #Bookstagram

I'm going to soft DNF this as I may come back to it however at this time it came across a bit overwhelming in regards to all the characters and plotlines. Definitely more fantasy than romance.

I’m obsessed! This book got me out of my reading slump!

The world building in this book is beautiful. The story building is even better! The way it’s told from multiple perspectives only to link up is exactly what I look for in a fantasy book!

This book was advertised as “Fourth Wing meets Atlas Six”, and I think that doesn’t even begin to cover how good this book is! If you enjoyed Brandon Sanderson but felt it too overwhelming, definitely give this book a try! This book is also definitely for the Throne of Glass lovers🤩

Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot for granting me access to this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Angry Robot for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley all opinions are my own.

Four students Diar, Christina, Jenne and Jadon all have a place at the prestigious Eshtem university, where they are have a chance to fight for the chance to become Edrei, members of a dragon riding magic wielding order of peacekeepers. Their backgrounds matter not, as all are equal once they step through the doors, many will fail and few will succeed in their bid to become Edrei. However there is evidence of rot and corruption in the order and the students find themselves questioning everything.

What a trip this book was, Christina and Jadon soon became fast favourites, the Easter eggs at the beginnings of the chapters hinted that these two have a big part to play. My advice is to read the Easter eggs at the beginning of the chapters carefully as there is information contained that is crucial to the story. I love anything with magic and dragons so I was keen to read this book, I loved this book as it was really well written, characters were fleshed out really well and the world building was very rich. I did also like Diar and Jenne, Diar more so then Jenne as I was not sure what to make of her but Diar was steadfast and honourable. In the next book I hope we get to see all four main characters interacting more on the pages, might be a pipe dream but I hope for a Christina and Jadon romance as they would be so perfect together. Overall 5+ stars from me highly recommended.

Thank you Angry Robot and NetGalley for the ARC!

4.75/5

The Ellyrian Code, which I assume is the first book of The Treaty of Edriendor, is a well written and entertaining university-based political high fantasy thriller. Bluntly put, it is actually a novel of manners set in a scholarly and political environment.

However, before diving into my review of the novel, I want to address something rather important to me personally — I believe that the marketing of this book is poorly executed. In no way whatsoever I found this similar to Fourth Wing or The Atlas Six. I wanted to read this because of its politics, and I was pleasantly surprised to see it was very well-executed in regards to world building, lore, and despite the fact that it is mentioned the ARC I received was not fully edited, I have found the prose perfectly nice and fluid, perfect for a thriller. Consequently, I would actually recommend this book to fans of The Aurelian Cycle by Rosaria Munda, as it is much more similar in setting to that series, to the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo (I would like to add that the writing style between the two authors is quite similar and therefore fans of the Grishaverse would enjoy this a lot), the works of James Islington (main characters with amnesia having a powerful narrative, and a similar political school setting), and lastly for fans of Brandon Sanderson’s works — the magic system and the religions in this book are very Sanderson-esque, and it awes me that these are not mentioned in the marketing at all. You have powerful high/epic fantasy series with which you can obviously find similarities, yet the chosen ones have (to me) almost nothing in common with The Ellyrian Code. I would strongly advise to encourage the promotion of this book to the side of fantasy fans I have mentioned.

That being said, this novel is very good for the first book of a series. The prose, as mentioned before, is quite fluid and suits the thriller style of the plot. The book is actually character driven for the most part, but one cannot complain about that since it is clearly the first book of a longer series. The entire point of a first book in the high/epic fantasy genre is to introduce the world; which we are more than thoroughly introduced to through our main characters.

The main points of view are four individuals, all from different backgrounds, which gives us as readers a very large scope of understanding of the university, the politics, the degree of corruption, and the power dynamics between students, teachers, and the outside environment.

First of all, we have Jadon, who comes from a royal background but has a clear mind, seeing the good, the bad, the truth, the complexities of life. His character was most insightful to me as a reader, because it was clearer in his chapters more than the others of the societal stratification depending on class, gender and power, because Jadon himself is very objective, and regards issues very detached. He has a great academic mind, and his polemic was extremely fun to read.

Contrasting the cynical Jadon, we have Christina, a foreign princess who is an inquisitive idealist. Sadly, her view of the life she envisioned for herself is shattered by the corruption surrounding her, and she’s challenged herself with discovering the truth, her curious mind breaking walls imposed by the very rules she idealised. She was my favourite point of view character, because one could sense the tenderness of her heart, and I genuinely felt bad for her realising she’s not living in the ideal world she’d envisioned for years.

Diar represents the middle class citizen perspective, coming from an in-between background; he has a specific ethnicity and religion which makes him stand out from others, and I enjoyed the dedication he has for his faith and origins, despite the challenges he faces in his new environment. He has an iron spine, and noble character, the outside world not managing to dirty his White core.

There is little we know of Jenne due to her circumstances, but if we were to believe her (I do not) she is from the lower class, the unknown commoners; she begins by being an anarchist, and throughout the story she goes so far into the left spectrum of politics that she ends up making a full circle and establishing herself in a far right mentality in which only her opinion is fact, if others do not agree with her vision, then they are wrong and not worthy of even being in the same environment as her. The fact that she is shrouded with mystery is what kept her interesting, otherwise her character wasn’t that enticing to me; she has a lot of potential moving forwards, and I am curious how she will develop.

I deducted a bit because I would’ve personally preferred a less abrupt ending, or perhaps another small snippet at the end as to leave more of a mysterious cliff hanger. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to the second volume, which I really hope will be published!

This is a mature and character driven fantasy with several POVs and an academic setting. The pacing unfolds organically, allowing us to get to know the four distinct characters as they eventually come together by the end of the book.

Story: Two nobles and two commoners have come to Eshtem to learn to be Edrei - the protectors of the realm. Some may even get the opportunity to bond with a dragon or practice magic. A high prince's heir, a princess, a woman with her memory missing, and a scholar. When one finds oddities in the strict Edrei code, she will bring the others slowly into her orbit as they each find anomalies in what should be the most honorable and sacrosanct code in the land.

First - the only similarities with Fourth Wing is a training school setting: there is no smut, no dragons except maybe 2 pages, no snarky banter, no action. It's not that kind of novel. What we have is four people with good moral compasses trying to survive in a dangerous world. Christina, the princess, is the first in her line in a hundred years to be accepted as a candidate for the school. Jarod, the high prince's son, wants only to survive long enough to outlast his father and bring true justice. Jenne has no memory before the school but has an inexplicable intense dislike of authority and the nobility. Diar, in love with Jenne, is a quiet scholarly type better suited to priesthood than the school of protectors.

The plot unfolds organically and is a slow burn. Each character is very distinct and you'll be able to tell their POVs immediately. I am not a fan of multiple POVs, especially in the beginning when it can be very confusing to remember the backstory of each beyond the personalities. But the mystery unfolded nicely and made a lot of sense. This first book does not end on a cliff hanger but culminates in a natural arc.

This wasn't a 5-star read for me for the simple reason that there were several instances of wording or situations that felt too much like racism by the author. I don't think it was intentional but it was very distracting and greatly took away from my enjoyment of the story. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.