I am going to eat this book whole.

This book is everything I’ve been looking for recently in regards to sapphic high fantasy princess/knight dynamic (technically both princesses in this case but there are swords okay, it counts). The relationship between Samansa and Kirk is absolutely delicious, the immediate reluctant connection, fighting for her favor, a brief pit stop in being forced to be on opposite sides of a conflict, the obsessive protectiveness. It’s so, so good.

Also I think the author did a really good job giving the couple a real sense of obstacles and forbidden love, which at the same time not playing into the homophobia of the real world. I love forbidden love stories, but as a lesbian it can be tough to read about the shit I deal with in the real world in my fun fantasy books, so this book REALLY hit the balance I’m looking for.

All the characters in this book were very well written, I thought. The villains were infuriating in a very realistic way, while also being evil enough that I didn’t feel bad watching them get taken down. Even the relatively minor characters felt well-rounded, to the point where I was genuinely shocked when some characters died, as I thought they were going to be much bigger players than they ended up being. But in the well-written way, lol.

The world building is also very fun, does some very fun stuff with the traditional princess and dragon archetypes.

All in all, 5/5 stars from me, I’d give it more if I could. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

3/5
Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for an arc. All opinions are my own.

Characters: 2/5
Romance: 2/5
Plot: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Worldbuilding: 3/5

This book was enjoyable, but it doesn’t really stand out to me unfortunately. I found the characters to be a bit shallow and the romance felt rushed. I did enjoy the plot, but since it was so romance centric, it lost my interest a bit at times. I did love the message of feminism, anti-war, and trans rights, and I would be interested in checking out some of A.M Strickland’s other works even though this one didn’t quite hit for me.

Imagine a world where a queen must rule! This also applies to the dragons - who have a centuries-long treaty with the humans. Enter in Samansa, the human heir to the throne and Kirek, the heir to the dragon’s throne. Their mothers have arranged for them to get to know each other to strengthen the treaty, but can they do that? Can they get along to support their kingdoms?


My applause:
-This book was great at world-building! You had me sold at dragons! And I’m pleased to announce that the dragons in this world did not disappoint.
-The romance was sweet. I wasn’t sure with this being my first dragon/human love story, not to mention my first sapphic one! But I cheered for Samansa and Kirek! They were badass and deserved to be happy together. I liked the tension between the two and the moments where they were developing their attractions. It was really cute.
-It was fast-paced and action-packed! A short little 250 pager!
-There was a good amount of gore in this book! It made it exciting and feel so much more real. As a YA novel, I was not expecting entire limbs to get torn off!


My critiques:
-There might have been too many plot twists? While I love an action-packed book, it felt like there were a lot of things going on simultaneously. The romance, the family drama, the dragon transformations, the dragon politics, and even more plot points... it seemed like a lot to digest at once.
-The vocabulary in this book seems high for a YA novel. How YA we talking? There were words I had to look up!
-I feel as though Samansa and Kirek’s interest in each other happened a bit too fast. They had just met. They knew nothing about one another. They had only a few interactions before big events started happening and they seemed intwined forever. It seemed like there could've been a few more one-on-one moments for them to come into their relationship.

Summary:
To Princess Samansa, the war between dragons and humans has been through a treaty centuries ago, but it's never felt more present than now, when Kirek, the heir to the dragon throne, is visiting Samansa's kingdom to foster ties. The "lady dragon" is brusque - no time for human emotions or cultural norms that aren't a battle to the death, but Samansa finds herself drawn to Kirek anyways, and Kirek finds herself protecting the princess in return. Facing political intrigue and scheming on both sides, Samansa and Kirek are forced to rely on one another to make it out of this unscathed, and with peace between their species intact. Along the way, they might learn a thing or two about each other, their cultural norms, and maybe fall in love.....

Review:
I loved the world-building here. The cultural differences between humans and dragons, where dragons fight everything to the death b/c they have sharp teeth and claws etc., was very cool and clever. I really liked Kirek as a character as well - her fighting style and thought process were fiery and fun. I also loved the commentary on gender/gender identity woven into the dragon/human body shifting metaphor, and I cannot express how much it meant that the author made a statement about trans people at the end of the book, esp. at this time in the US. I did have some issues with major plot holes though - I will detail them on my Storygraph review so they can be hidden appropriately. I also felt that Kirek compromised more with Samansa/humans than the reverse, which was a bummer to me as I really found the dragon culture to be intriguing, and I felt the narrative sort of demonized them by promoting the "human way through feelings" as better/best. All and all, a fast and engaging read!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

DNF 30%

There are a few things about this book so far that aren’t working for me. First, I don’t have much sense of a story yet. Samansa and Kirek are supposed to get to know one another and Samansa has some people trying to kill her (as heir, that’s not really a novel plot line). There’s nothing that makes me want to keep going. Secondly, the characters seem very one dimensional so far. In particular, I found myself annoyed with Samansa constantly. She blurts, stammers, giggles, and constantly questions herself, thinking “why did I say that” or “what was I thinking”. She comes off very immature, especially for a girl who has been raised to take the responsibility of a throne. Lastly, something about the prose was not flowing to me. Often I found sentences be jarring or an odd structure. I decided to stop after reading the following: “You fool!” Kirek thundered, marching right up to the fool-headed fool of a princess…”

Overall this just read a bit too young for me, and once I realized it wasn’t for me I decided not to continue.

The succession of royalty is never simple, and when you lump in a reluctant dragon from another realm, it becomes more complicated that you ca possibly fathom.

This book was a breath of fresh air. Between Samansa's optimistically cautious personality and Kirek's rather stoically curious persona, the dynamics between these two made reading this story that much more enjoyable. As their feelings begin to develop for each-other, you can feel the hesitance on Kirek's side, not because she doesn't want it but because she doesn't understand what is she's wanting. The fierce protectiveness she feels over Samansa even at the behest of her mother's orders adds all the more tension to their relationship, On Samansa's part, you can appreciate the bravery she takes on in taking the first step toward Kirek, a confidence we don't normally see in characters that share her role.

The added power struggles between both the dragon kingdom and the human kingdom, and the way they are written to be independent battles and yet interconnected through history and legend, round out the world into something beautiful and fleshed out. This is truly a beautiful piece of work, and my only sadness is that I can't reread it again.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Lady Dragon is YA sapphic fantasy/romantasy about a human princess, Samansa, and her draconic counterpart, the favored heir, Kirek. As is tradition, Kirek uses a Heartstone that allows her to shift into a human form in order to maintain the dragons alliance with the queendom. This time, Kirek has been given a secret task by the Queen Mother: find out the humans weaknesses.

I really, really loved the beginning of this book. Getting to experience Samansa and Kirek's relationship evolve slowly, the banter, the yearning - it was so perfect! I was kicking my feet giggling. I love when we, the reader, know they're falling before they do. Strickland did the Grumpy x Sunshine trope SO well. You can really feel the connection between the two and the relationship evolves organically. There's no insta love. I would say this skirts the edge of being YA. However, the relationship is much more emotional than physical which I prefer for all my romance reads.

The story began to be more plot driven about half way through. The plot was a bit weaker than I would have hoped. It didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story necessarily though because I was just so wrapped up in our two main characters. The story was sometimes predictable in the beginning, but became less so as the story went on. I do feel like the conclusion/climax contained a bit of a 'cop out' . I won't say more to avoid spoilers!

Overall, I give this story 4 stars out of 5. I think the author did what she intended to do with this book. I could definitely see myself rereading this, not for the story but for the characters. I would consider this a comfort read. Strickland wrote her female characters with so much depth and flaws. I would like to see her work on her plot development because she could write a truly great story!

I loved how many queer characters there were. Barely a straight relationship in sight. Also, her trans woman representation was phenomenal. All of these characters had more to them than just being queer. It was a big part of the story, but not the only thing to the story.

Enjoyable read. Loved the character growth for our leading ladies. The concept was also very interesting, with tons of twisty bits.

Love, love, love, love, and love this!!! Having read “The Priory of the Orange Tree”, “Fourth Wing”, and “The Dragon’s Promise” made me fall in love again with dragons, and this just hit the spot! You’ve got it all, romantasy, political themes, slow-burn, and a magical story all in one. I really felt like all the characters were real, the dialogue, the world-building characteristics and depictions made it so easy for me to follow the story and exactly paint a picture to every scene. Honestly, this will be the book that you will pick up and will not want to put back down until you actually finish it. Also ADORE stories that have romance but also PLOT, all my love to every chapter of this book and anyone who reads it! I would definitely recommend this for anyone who wants an empowering story with evolving characters that will definitely leave you IN LOVE!!!

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I enjoyed the story and felt the experiences had their moments of charm, sweetness, and character growth. I love a cute sapphic story; forbidden love is a great trope. I have a soft spot for dragons. In this story, the dragons were tough, violent, held disdain for humans, and were difficult to love. Some of that needed to be there for the forbidden love story, but I was surprised by how oppositional they were. I prefer sassy dragons, but I did enjoy Kirek’s growth arc, in both her dragon and more human forms.

Samansa’s character was a little flat for me. I didn’t ever really connect with her. I liked the ending, and I enjoyed her last couple of chapters. The humans in general were a little dull, and I never got a feel for who they were and why I should care. I liked the small twist with the Queen’s history. It was all enough for me to keep reading, and I would say younger readers would likely enjoy it more.

SAPPHIC DRAGONS, SAPPHIC DRAGONS,SAPPHIC DRAGONS!!!
Loved it, Samansa was my favorite character and I thought the pacing was a bit slow in the beginning but really took off towards the second half.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for Lady Dragon by A.M. Strickland.

I really enjoyed this. It wasn't quite as good as In the Ravenous Dark (which i LOVED). But, they were totally different. The world building was okay for a YA book. I feel like we mainly learned about the dragon's society. The parts of the human's society we learned about were really only those that pertain to the dragons and the treaty. The treaty and the history between the two societies was well developed and interesting. But, we really only saw one trip away from the castle in the human society to visit a destroyed town so didn't learn much about the culture or the people.

But, this was a quick read that kept me interested. The love story was cute. I love when the readers know they're falling way before the characters do. I think I related more to Kirek than Samansa, but I loved the way they gradually picked up traits from each other and that made me grow to love them both. I liked Jamsens, Cenara, and Valraka's characters best outside of our MC's and I think they all added to the story in different but important ways. I loved the several different commentaries on gender. And I think the ending was perfect, specifically Branon's.

Overall, this was the first dragon book I've read in a while that had an adequate amount of dragons and I appreciated that. 4 stars and still love A.M. Strickland!

I was not a fan of this book. The writing was not my style and it was hard to keep my attention on the book.

*Lady Dragon* is a fierce, emotionally rich sapphic romantasy that soars with political intrigue, forbidden love, and the ever-present threat of war. A.M. Strickland conjures a vivid, high-stakes world where dragons and humans coexist under a fragile truce upheld by the power—and burdens—of queendom. Samansa and Kirek are compelling leads, their slow-burn connection brimming with tension as they navigate duty, deception, and desire. With echoes of *Seraphina* and *The Priory of the Orange Tree*, this novel expertly weaves court politics, ancient secrets, and shapeshifting magic into a story that feels both timeless and fiercely fresh. *Lady Dragon* is a powerful testament to the strength of chosen love and the courage it takes to defy legacy.

I received the opportunity to read this as an advanced reader copy. My review is as follows:

This story is absolutely beautiful, warm, and charming. The characters are strong, soft, kind, and very human. The love story is complex and well thought out, pulling inspiration from stories such as Ladyhawke and Shrek in many ways, with a sapphic twist. Anyone reading this story could understand the palpable feelings of love, trust, and duty that the main characters experience. One-of-a-kind, and I WILL be recommending to all those in my life who enjoy a good love story where the women get to kiss each other ❤️

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Strickland heard us crying for more sapphic dragon romantasies, and they provided! This is a dragon shifter YA romantasy that does the hard parts of this genre extremely well. It's a YA with an engaging, unique plot and no teenaged main characters, a romantasy where the fantasy portion stands well on it's own, and does it's world building in a way that unique and immersive but not confusing. For me, the sapphic romance and matriarchy are big, fat bonuses as well.

This story gets very intense, very quickly. I went from leisurely picking it up when I had free time, to locked in and unable to put it down half way through. I finished the second half of the book in one sitting.

I loved the banter between our two main characters in the beginning of this story before one of the big twists. It was the classic grumpy/sunshine trope but with 2 princesses, and one of those princesses is more of a knight. I appreciated this dynamic and do wish we spent a tiny bit more time in this space.

I thought I knew where this story was going at that point, but it took a few turns that I did not see coming. I LOVE that in stories! I cannot say much more without spoiling the best bits, but once this part of the story stops, there is no slowing down. I loved how vivid the fight scenes were. And I appreciated how lore and magic were explained. It was not dumbed down, but I did feel like I understood every part of this story. I liked this much more than I expected to, which was surprising because I already loved all the ingredients in this story. I could see myself re-reading this and highly recommend this as a sapphic fantasy.

Also....spoilerish.......I so, so, so appreciate a sapphic happily ever after. It so extremely rare these days, so big props to the author for that.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for an e-ARC of Lady Dragon. This book was incredible. Lady Dragon delivers on all of the tropes you expect to see with dragons. Kirek is the strong and fierce daughter to the current matriarch of the dragons, Queen Mother. The dragons in this setting are ruthless, self-reproducing, and have a society built upon daughters challenging their mothers for right to the throne when they come of age. Kirek is a direct opposite to Samansa, the heir to the human throne of Andrath. Samansa is soft, delicate, a bit too trusting, and so utterly flawed. Of course she is flawed, because she is human. Lady Dragon weaves a beautiful tale of two princesses who are completely different at the start of the novel. Samansa and Kirek are both driven by their duty as daughters. However, that duty looks different. Kirek is sent to Andrath by the Queen Mother to uncover humanity's weaknesses so that the dragons may be able to utilize them. Samansa is plagued by her mother's constant reminders that she needs to start a courtship so that she may ensure a daughter heir for Andrath when it is her time to rule. Both dragon and girl are pressured into maintaining the status quo of their race, while simultaneously being drawn to one another.

I don't want to get too much into the plot. However, Lady Dragon is choke full of political intrigue, commentary on gender, and commentary on love and what that love looks like. Lady Dragon has some soft, feminine moments. However, the novel does not forget to remind you that it also has teeth and bares them quite regularly. The Samansa and Kirek at the end of the novel are beautifully, wonderfully, transformed from the two that start the novel. I loved that the novel is told from both prospectives. Overall, I enjoyed this sapphic fantasy wholly. For those of you who are afraid of picking this up due to the political climate or fear the bury your gays trope...do not be afraid with this novel. Although Lady Dragon does not shy away from death, fire, and horror that almost could parallel the human world....it does not let Kirek and Samansa suffer a tragic fate. In the end, Lady Dragon allows the princess to save the dragon and the dragon to get the girl.

Such an empowering and wonderful story of two very different but similar individuals finding one another and facing the world hand in... talon?

While I loved the creativity behind this book’s plot I struggled to get into it. The characters were all extremely flat to me without a lot of inner life and I wished that we could have had more moments of sincerity, if not between the leads than at least internally. I think a lot of the realizations came a little too late and I felt frustrated at multiple points.

Thank you Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. An absolute adventure! There was once a war between humans and dragons. A brutal battle that cost many lives including the lives of both the human King and the dragon queen. Now they are at a tentative peace, resting on the human queendom of Andrath only allowing for women to reign and the perspective queen of the dragons having to spend time as a human and observe the human ways. Samanta is the human princess and Kirek is the favored future dragon queen. She’s been sent to live amongst the humans with a secret task from her queen. Unexpectedly the two grow close and when they discover a plot that threatens to send the two queendoms back to war. Will they choose their people or will they choose the growing feelings they have for each other? A love a good queer fantasy and A.M. Strickland’s sapphic romantasy was engaging and intriguing! It’s filled with well thought out society’s that are unique and very interesting! Especially the dragons! Great chemistry and a sweet relationship between the mcs! A thrilling read that I couldn’t put down!