Abbie Eaton did a brilliant job writing Dragonhart, her debut novel. Although it fell short in certain aspects regarding writing style, it was great for a debut novel and I did really enjoy my reading experience; the tropes such as enemies to lovers and forced proximity are some of my favorites which made this a really fun read.

This book has everything you could ever need in a fantasy book... The world-building was exceptional and the characters and the storyline were gripping.

The King's Assassin so full of hate and violence, a mission that isn't all that it seems and the MMC so full of arrogance and dismissal.

I loved the dynamic between Hart and Arla throughout the book, the push and pull between them, the undeniable longing and need that neither recognised at first. I was screaming in my head at them to just get it on and everything will fall into place lol 😆

The storyline follows the characters and of course the evil overlord kings and a dragon (we all love a dragon right?!) Had me so thoroughly sucked into the pages that I couldn't put it down and read it in less than a day!!

I can't wait to see what comes next.

Oh my word, I can’t begin to describe how this books has completely blown past every expectation I had!!! This fantasy novel is beautiful, and the enemies to lovers plot line is so masterfully handled. Arla and Hark are amazing! I was highlighting and making so many notes throughout!! There were twists and turns that I had never expected to take place and they made the story that much better! I am so looking forward to reading any and all future stories that Abbie Eaton releases!! This debut novel had me captivated from the beginning and I am so excited to be able to hop on the Abbie Eaton train early, because I have full faith that she is just getting started!!!!

Thank you to One More Chapter, Harper Collins, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to experience the magic early with and ARC of this beautiful story!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
# Pages: 384
Publication Date: 04.18.25

“She was wrath, and fury, and vengeance. She was blood, and fire, and truth, and she would never again be useless.”

*Fantasy
*Enemies to lovers
*Forced proximity
*FMC seeking revenge
*Dragons
*Magic

Book Overview:
The dragons are gone, and the kingdoms are falling. Not even the gods can save them now…
Arla Reinhart, personal assassin to the King of Hadalyn, doesn’t believe in the gods and their dragons who once served the people – not after they abandoned her when she needed them most. But when shipments start going missing and the kingdoms begin to crumble, they may be the only ones who can help.
Forced into working with the arrogant – yet unmistakably handsome –ambassador of the kingdom that killed her parents, Arla must place her hatred for Hark Stappen to one side as they journey across kingdoms, dining with royalty and fighting in taverns, and make an alarming discovery that shatters her heart and forces her to question everything – and everyone – she knows…

“Dragonhart” by Abbie Eaton was one crazy ride! Great job on her debut novel! The vivid world building to the details of the character development, had me hooked. I loved how they all felt real and relatable. From the magic, dragons, adventure, romance, and the story telling, it was a very immersive experience.

I absolutely loved the FMC Arla. She was a stabby badass that had depth to her. Want a badass FMC, look no further!

Overall, I highly recommend this read! It’s perfect for the dragon loving fantasy readers! So many twists and turns. You will more be disappointed.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC.

I was so excited to read this book, but I ended up being disappointed. I did enjoy the dragon-human connection and the way the bond was portrayed, I enjoyed the fight scene descriptions and could easily engage with the book during those moments, and I liked the relationship tension between Arla and Kase.

However, the writing was really simple, and the characters were a bit boring for me. I usually love assassin books, but this one fell flat for me. I think there was too much telling rather than showing in the book. Arla was supposed to be an excellent assassin, and there were a few scenes where it really shined (the battle in Kastonia’s castle) near the end, but I didn’t enjoy this book until I was about 80% of the way through. It took me a really long time to read it because I wasn’t engaged. Hark, the MMC, didn’t grip me either. He was to naive.

The ideas are there, the story has moments of greatness, but it’s not great as a whole. The ending itself was disappointing as well and again felt very juvenile. If you were to take out the spice, this would be a great preteen story.

This one had all the right ingredients—revenge-driven FMC, forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers tension, and, of course, dragons—but it just never fully pulled me in. The worldbuilding had potential, but I found myself wanting more depth to the lore and a stronger emotional connection to the characters. Arla’s journey had some compelling moments, and I appreciated her drive for vengeance, but the pacing felt uneven, with stretches that dragged and conflicts that didn’t hit as hard as I wanted. The romance had its moments, but the chemistry didn’t quite spark enough to make me fully invested. Not a bad read by any means—there were definitely parts I enjoyed—but it ultimately didn’t leave a lasting impression.

What an unbelievable debut novel by Abbie Eaton.
For a fantasy/ romantasy reader this book is everything and more that you’d expect. An amazing FMC, enemies to lovers, forces proximity, magic and most importantly dragons. The world building is insane and Arla oh my God what can I say, I loved how complex and rich her character is.

3.5 stars

a debut fantasy novel that brings together political intrigue, long-lost magic, and an enemies-to-lovers romance set against a crumbling world - everything I love in a fantasy!

at its core, the story follows Arla Reinhart, the king’s assassin, who is forced to work alongside Hark Stappen, an ambassador from the kingdom responsible for her family’s untimely demise. their uneasy alliance leads them on a journey filled with shocking revelations that challenge Arla’s deeply ingrained beliefs (I’m a big fan of journey books, so this was perfect for me).

the book delivers plenty of action and tension, and the romance is genuinely one of the highlights, because it’s a very well executed slow burn that adds depth to the overall narrative. the author does a great job in terms of world-building, crafting a setting rich in political complexity and faded myths, with dragons (eventually, albeit a bit late) making their presence known. I think most fans of Throne of Glass or Fourth Wing will find elements they love here.

that said, the book has some drawbacks. Arla, while a strong and determined protagonist, sometimes comes across as repetitive in her hatred and stubbornness, which can make parts of the book feel stagnant. there’s also the fact that the writing style also leans toward a younger tone despite tackling pretty dark themes, which might make it feel mismatched for some readers. while the last portion of the book shows immense promise, the pacing in the first half dragged quite a bit, with repeated themes of violence, denial of magic, and Arla’s extremely rigid worldview.

overall, Dragonhart is a promising work with solid characters and a compelling plot, perfect for romantasy lovers!

I have read five chapters and I am going no further. There’s a lot that I don’t like about this, mostly summarized into one word: juvenile. Is the only flawed female type allowed brash and impatient, rude and foul-mouthed, violent and angry?

I swear a lot, but with purpose and with an eye to who I’m with and where I am. This is shock value. It’s “showing she doesn’t care” but there are so many better ways to do that. A king raising a child as an assassin would not allow said assassin to swear at him, to disrespect or malign him, whether verbally or gesturally. He has an assassin because he is abusing his power, and that abuse of power would extend to his personal servants, particularly those he sends out to perform illegal or violent acts. He must maintain power or find it turned against him. This just… doesn’t make sense. Not to mention everyone knows who she is. And that she’s this terrifying weapon at all of 19 (ha. Yeah right. We all know what idiots we were at that age.) yet is easily beaten by Hark?

There are too many plot holes with not a single redeeming character to root for in the first 5 chapters. I’m out. Some may feel otherwise — and maybe this is actually YA? 2 stars because the premise is interesting and I may be the wrong audience for this book.

📚 Book Review 📚
Dragonhart | Abbie Eaton
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Themes:

👑King’s Assassin
✨Fated Destiny
🖤Enemies to Lovers
🐉 Sassy Dragons
🔥Badass FMC
🥀Forced Partnership/ Proximity

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review


Arla Reinhart is the King’s Assasin, Hark Stappen is the ambassador to the kingdom that killed her parents. They’re forced to work together by both kings to solve a mystery, but there’s much bigger things going on Alra doesn’t know.

Gods, prophecies, dragons, assassins and of course enemies to lovers, this book has everything to make it amazing!

Whilst nothing can be compared to Throne of Glass, the FMC definitely reminded me of another assassin we all love 🖤

Add in political intrigue, high stakes romance, lost magics and of course DRAGONS! This debut novel was 🤌

Can’t wait to see where this story goes next


Overall: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Spice: 2/5

An enemies-to-lovers romantic fantasy debut following Arla, a fierce assassin from the Kingdom of Hadalyn. When Arla is sent on a mission alongside the ambassador from the country responsible for her parents' deaths, she finds herself entangled in unexpected political intrigue. As the story unfolds, Arla is forced to question her long-held beliefs—and, more importantly, her growing feelings for her sworn enemy.
I really wanted to love this! Give me dragons, and I'm sold. Unfortunately, Arla's persistent prejudice and stubbornness ultimately let the story down. The author spends too much time repeating the same narrative of violence, the denial of magic, and hatred toward Kastonia, which dominates the majority of the book. At times, Arla feels a bit naïve, and her black-and-white worldview prevents the story from evolving sooner. I wish the book had delved deeper, as the final 20% of the story showed so much potential. That said, I believe the author has set up a compelling foundation for an exciting plot in future installments.

Wow! Wow! Wow! What a stunning debut novel! I could not put this down. A fantastic romantasy, well written and the whole world it was crafted in is just so well done. The enemies to lovers is so well structured, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the when not if, and it was worth the wait.

Arla, the FMC is a strong powerhouse of a character. The King's Assassin. Strong and stubborn, she is delightfully deadly.

Then there's the dragons! The dragons were just perfect, adding a beautiful layer to this fantasy. A wonderful read.

Arla is the type of person i strive to be. She is just so incredibly complex and also very stabby! The plot was honestly so much fun, and I really enjoyed all the characters and side characters we had throughout this gorgeous book. I mean, who doesn't like a stabby FMC who is also the king's assassin?? This book grabs your attention from the very first page and doesn't let you go until you finish it. I can't wait to see what else Abbie publishes!

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for this ARC!

This was STUNNING! The enemies to lovers, magic system, and the dragons??? perfection. I love the political turmoil we get throughout this book and just the plot was so intriguing and kept my attention the entire time! Arla was such an interesting character that I really liked due to her being so complex and just the depth of her character was amazing. Listen if a book has dragons then I will read it every single time.

It was also so shocking to hear that this is a debut! such a fantastic job and I can't wait to see what Abbie comes up with next. I also can't wait for everyone to read this so I can yap their ears off about how much I loved it!

I really struggled with this book’s writing style- it had a really ‘young’ writing style as if it were meant for younger audiences (where it’ll often use simple language, phrases and metaphors) whilst dealing with some heavier, older topics, which as a personal preference isn’t really my thing.

Whilst I liked the idea of the plot, it all felt really repetitive, though it had a great enemies to lovers' storyline, that was genuinely really fantastically done, and one of the better ones I’ve read.

I do think it was a pretty well-done debut novel and should absolutely be applauded!

Where should I start??????? This book was so good I couldn't put it down for a second. This story is so good, a masterpiece! I rated it 5 stars and I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

oh. my. god. what. a. debut. dragonhart has everything—political intrigue, magic, adventure, and DRAGONS. i absolutely ravaged this book from start to finish. from the very first page, this book grabs you and doesn’t let go. we’re thrown into a world of danger, loyalty, and high-stakes romance that will have you completely hooked. (and trust me—I was.)

arla reinhart is a king’s assassin on a mission for vengeance—fierce, deadly, and absolutely unstoppable. (i couldn’t figure out if i wanted to date her or BE her.) but when she’s forced to team up with hark stappen, the sharp-witted ambassador from a rival kingdom, everything she thought she knew starts to unravel. the tension? electric. the enemies-to-lovers slow burn? perfection. the twists? jaw-dropping.

if you love stabby heroines, forced proximity, and dragons (so many dragons), dragonhart is the book you’ve been waiting for. i need the next one *yesterday*.

Wow — what a debut. An endless thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book.

(very) stabby fmc
political intrigue
enemies to lovers
forced proximity
two beds but i want to share yours
dragons

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if it has dragons I will read it, but this really has everything I look for in a fantasy. Stunning world-building, strong characters and an enemies to lovers romance that is going to change the world as they know it.

Arla Reinhart is a King’s Assassin, and she’s looking for vengeance.

Fiercely loyal, strong and determined, Arla is thrust into joining forces with Hark Stappen, the ambassador for the neighbouring kingdom, on a journey that will ultimately lead her into questioning everything she’s ever known and fought for - and hell hath no fury like Arla Reinhart scorned.

I absolutely loved Dragonhart by Abbie Eaton! From start to finish, it was a captivating read that had me hooked. The combination of dragons, magic, and adventure created an exciting and immersive world that was hard to put down. The characters felt real and their development was both emotional and thrilling. The pacing was perfect, and I enjoyed the way the story unfolded. Abbie Eaton’s writing style is engaging and easy to follow, making this book a must-read for fantasy lovers. Can't wait for more in the series!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

A hell of a debut novel. Dragonhart is the kind of fantasy that had everything I need; enemies-to-lovers, a strong FMC seeking revenge, magic and DRAGONS.

“The dragons are gone, and the kingdoms are falling. Not even the gods can save them now...”

Yes, most fantasy novels have strong FMC’s, but how many of them are Assassins to the King? Arla Reinhart has fought to be the best at what she does, and now whilst serving her kingdom, feared by all, she is seeking revenge for the war that caused the death of her parents.

“She had killed and clawed and fought her way to where she was now.”

Set in a place where the old religion believed in magic, gods and dragons, Arla simply believes in right and wrong. The wrong being, the neighbouring kingdom who descended on her home years ago on a killing spree in search for the mythical dragons.

Hark Stappen, ambassador for the neighbouring kingdom, has been Arla’s enemy for years. For no other reason than the place he comes from. Happily avoiding each other through the palace for years has become the norm. That is until, the King needs them to work together.

This enemies-to-lovers tale is filled with twists and turns as the two travel on their mission, unearthing heart-breaking truths along the way.

Arla may be feared by all, but not by Stappen.

“She was wrath, and fury, and vengeance. She was blood, and fire, and truth, and she would never again be useless.”

Fans of Fourth Wing and When the Moon Hatched, this fantasy debut is the perfect addition to your TBR. Filled with mystery and tension, Reinhart and Stappen’s mission becomes the only way to save their kingdoms.

“Everybody has a little bit of magic inside them, Miss Reinhart, if only you knew where to look.”

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins, One More Chapter for the early release of this arc in exchange for an honest review.