After a string of DNF titles, I have taken to searching Goodreads reviews for themes and spice level. Pubishers just aren't being upfront on what matters to a reader. I don't want to be the reviewer receiving a book I can't review because I couldn't make it more than two chapters when I am not the intended audience. It is an unfortunate turn in the publishing industry that I find so little to read these days. My new strategy has kept the DNFs, and subsenquently my TBR pile, to a minimum. I took another chance on an Angry Robot ARC despite the slightly negative slant with the reviews.

I was surprised to find that I truly enjoyed The Ellyrian Code for the exact reasons so many reviewers seemed to fault the story. This is an old school high fantasy at its finest. The politics are at the heart of the story. The moral debate of tradition against progress. You must be interested in developing with these main characters at a diligent plod versus an action packed sprint. This is not dragonriding. This is not magical academy. This is a tale from the POV of four very stratified students.

More than a thousand years ago the humans overcame the elves in a bloody war and signed the Treaty of Edriendor. Dragons and magic became commonplace tradition at Eshtem University. To keep the world in balance, the university designated equal entry to any who wished to become an Edrei, the elite neutral judges. A generation ago an Edrei became a high profile fugitive, who was executed in silence. Begin political intrigue.

The concept of leaving all associations at the door of Eshtem University is the best part of the book. To be elite, you have to train the hardest and study the traditions with exacting detail. This is one of the most cutthroat fictional academies I have be immersed inside. We explore how true the professors and students can be to the sentiments of their mission statement. Christina was a Blood princess. Jadon was a War High Prince. Diar was a Risharan (read religious gypsy). Jenne was a... well, she can't remember, but she seems to be very good at everything. There may be love, there may not be. Time will tell. Honestly the level of romance was refreshing in an overly sexualized industry currently.

This is seriously the beautiful beginnings to an intriguing series. My hopes are raised pretty high with this introducion. The worldbuilding was immersive, and the writing kept me from putting the book down. Easy five stars.

This was a fun read. With all the fantasy going around, it was nice to see another take on popularised themes like dragon riding and competitive academies. I really enjoyed this read and found that the characters were a good balance in that they still had flaws which is always something that I personally look for when reading my books. Personally, this wasn't a 5/5, but also not something that i wouldn't recommend to a friend. I know of a few people for whom this would be right up their street!

this was a unique mix of academia and fantasy. My only critique would be that there weren't a lot of references to the dragons themselves but would love to continue this.

This was such an interesting read from the start. I was so interested in this book because the blurb of the book caught my attention, to a point that when I started reading it, I didn’t want to put it down. The way the story developed and the characters were introduced, I found very interesting and started to be come invested into them. The authors writing style was absolutely amazing, and I didn’t want to put the book down. There was so much that was happening within the story and how the author made it such a gripping and interesting read. The way the story ended slightly surprised me but it didn’t stop me from loving this book.

Unfortunately, this is another fantasy that falls flat for me. Maybe I should say that it was just average and nothing stood out to make it stand out from other high fantasies. I agree with other reviews that it is unfair to compare it to Fourth Wing or The Atlas Six if the only comparison is dragons mixed with an academic setting. The Ellyrian Code is way more political, littered with secrets, allies, and a class system. I wish I could have enjoyed this book more, but it was way too slow paced for me to really like it. This book is for those who like those thick books that are a tad bit on the slower side.

Thank you Netgalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

Military academy + magic + dragons + four main characters - on paper, this should’ve been awesome! But honestly, the writing felt pretty dry, and it took me 3–4 tries just to push past the first 200 pages. You get dropped into the world quickly, and while there are explanations about how things work, they feel perfunctory. I had a hard time connecting with the characters.

Some of the POVs felt unnecessary, and the inner motivations (especially for certain side characters) were thin. It really felt like the story was built around Jadon, the war prince, so maybe it would’ve been stronger just keeping the main focus on him instead of a half-baked multi-POV.
The class settings could have been interesting, but they were weighed down by endless Aristotle-style logic debates and circular arguments. I wanted to explore the magical world, not sit through philosophy lectures. The worldbuilding has promise, but just when it finally started to hook me… the book ended. Also, there are probably only a couple of pages dedicated to dragons.

I am curious what happens next, but I’m not sure I’m willing to commit to book two.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

I really enjoyed this one. It had everything from dragons to schools and fights. It was a little repetitive for the genre though.

I think comparing this book to books like fourth wing is doing it a disservice, it doesn't feel like Fourth Wing and I think a lot of people will come expecting more from romance than it gives and many may not appreciate the worldbuilding involved in this book.

This book was good in its own right, slow to start with a lot to get your head around but it picked up and eventually I couldn't put the book down, this books lays a good foundation for future books to come, especially for readers who enjoy world-building and that side of fantasy books.

This is a good read if you like books like the Atlas Six

The Ellyrian Code is the kind of fantasy that rewards readers who enjoy patience and complexity. It doesn’t rely on flashy battles or dragon spectacle (despite the setup); instead, it leans into quiet tension, moral ambiguity, and sharp political undercurrents. The multiple POVs work well once you settle into the rhythm, and the writing has a cool, deliberate elegance to it.

That said, the pacing is slow. Some sections drag, and readers expecting a Fourth Wing-style thrill ride might feel misled. But if you appreciate intricate worldbuilding, soft-burn character development, and a more cerebral take on fantasy, it’s an excellent start to what could become a deeply satisfying series.

Not a page-turner — but definitely one to sit with.

I have not finished this book. I have struggled to continue reading it as I am not gripped at all by the story.

We follow four different students as they start their education at Eshtem where only the most successful students may graduate and become Edrei. This ancient order strives to uphold peace and follow its sets of ideals. However, some of the students realize that there might be a conspiracy afoot.

I don't think the story should be compared to fourth wing as the dragons are not that important to the plot (at least for now). The story is very slow-burn and focuses more on the characters navigating their new life at this university. Along with their difficult studies they all deal with their own struggles. For example, Christina and Diar to some extent investigate the aforementioned conspiracy. Jadon on the other hand deals with the expectations placed on him by his father who wants his heir to be a ruthless ruler while Jadon himself wants to follow a more compassionate path. Our final character Jenne, wakes up with no memory of her past. All she knows is that its probably for the best but during her studies some memories start to resurface.

Themes of class are explored as this is a very strict and hierarchical society but Eshtem itself is supposed to be equal to all. The reality, however, is quite different with nobles forming their own cliques. On top of that, the high-born already have more experience with combat or are already familiar with what's being taught, putting the low-born students at a significant advantage.

It feels like the story is mainly is set-up for the next installment so the plot might be advancing too slowly for some. However this was not a problem for me at all. I absolutely loved learning more about this universe and following each characters journey. I don't mind mysteries being unresolved and I'm looking forward to see how they are dealt with in the sequel.

Took me a few chapters to wrap my head around everyones stories but once i got into it i was hooked, Fourth Wing meets Harry Potter in my opinion. Look forward to the next installment of this book

A gripping and unique fantasy that has high intrigue levels. Vividly imagined characters that immediately draw the reader in.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

4 stars!

The Ellyrian Code is a richly imagined epic fantasy that blends dragon lore, political intrigue, and academic tension into a slow-burning, character-driven story. The world-building is ambitious and thoughtful, with multiple perspectives that deepen the exploration of privilege, power, and the institutions that uphold them. The university setting adds a compelling pressure-cooker atmosphere where students must navigate corruption and societal expectations while wrestling with their own identities.

While the pacing is deliberately slow and the opening can feel disorienting, the layered themes and morally complex characters offer strong payoff, especially by the end. Standout characters like Jadon and Christina are flawed, real and well written, and though the dragons take a backseat in this installment, the groundwork laid here hints at even greater things to come. This is a solid start to a promising series, especially for readers who appreciate intricate world-building, emotional stakes, and stories that reward patience.

I really liked the sound of this book as I am a big fan of fourth wing and it was good, however it didn't have as much romance for me. I was intrigued and I couldn't put the book down and will be reading book 2, I just wish it wasn't so slow to start with.

I really enjoyed this book. It follows several students of a magic school, as well as their own personal journeys getting there and some political intrigue. It’s much more fantasy focused than anything like romance or personal drama. I enjoyed all the different characters. The pacing was a little slow at first but once I got to know everyone and especially after hitting half way I started to see it all coming together. I ended this read really wishing I had book two to go on to straight away.

I was initially drawn in by its premise: an academia setting with dragon-riding and magic-wielding peacekeepers sounded exactly like something I could sink into. The atmospheric cover sealed the deal. Unfortunately, the reading experience didn’t live up to the anticipation. The book didn’t capture my expectations in the first couple of chapters and I chose not to continue reading.

the ellyrian code isn’t at all what I was expecting. I thought it would be more like fourth wing, but it really wasn’t. there was a noticeable lack of romance, which didn’t bother me, but if someone’s thinking this is anything like fourth wing, they’ll be significantly disappointed. the similarities end at dragons.

first and foremost, the plot and premise of the ellyrian code was very well thought out and intriguing. my interest was held from the very first page. because this book is heavy in politics and an academic setting, the pacing was a lot slower than i’d typically expect from a fantasy novel. it wasn’t bad (ever, at all), just something I wanted to point out. it’s a nice medium pacing with some fairly slow bits.

while there’s a lot of world building and things to learn, I found myself loving the characters a lot. they were relatable and loveable, which are the main things I’m looking for when it comes to characters. the dialogue between each of them was so well written, it felt like I was really there, watching everyone bicker.

the ending was really well done. it speed up enough for the climax to really hit hard. I absolutely can’t wait for the next book.

It's unfortunate that this book has been compared to Fourth Wing, as this exceeds it in every way.

It has a bit of a slow, meandering start, but starts to lay the pieces of the puzzle out and hooks in around 30%.

A promising new fantasy world!

The Ellyrian Code: The Treaty of Edriendor is an Epic Fantasy set amongst dragons and primarily set within a school.

The book revolves around four students and their attendance to an elite university, with the POV switching between each to weave the story together.

The chapters are much longer than I'm used to but given the backgrounds of the characters, I feel the longer chapters work as it allows you to really get into the world and really learn and understand the character whose POV you are reading.

Diar, Jenne, Christina and Jardon all come from different lives and yet B.F. Peterson blends them perfectly, which each character having a worthwhile, important role! Of the four, I actually really liked Christina ❤️.

There is also epic worldbuilding from the landscape to the politics and magical system, which all feeds back into this world! We also have dragons, though they aren't featured heavily in this first book... yet, I hope 😉!

As this was year one at the University, I can't wait to see what happens in the sequal... hopefully, we get to see more dragons and learn more about how they fit into society.