Phinia Dellerm’el, the Mazoön agent who made Janan work with her to target illegal enastramyths (practitioners of Mazoön magic), arrives in the Suonkang encampment, with a young half Ba-suon man, Gherijtana ele Railé, in tow. She brings news that Kattakan forces are moving northwards into Ishia's icy region, with the hope of expanding their operations and hold on the island.

She wants Janan to head north, as a Mazoön representative, to stake a claim before Kattakans can. Utterly uninterested in Mazoön politics, or dealing with Kattakans ever again, he rejects her. But, Lilley has been barely holding onto his sanity, struggling to shake his waking dreams of the north, and Raka the man. The young enastramyth Gerijitana claims he can rid Lilley of Raka, in exchange for them making the trip north.

Reluctantly, they agree to travel with their dragons, with Méka insisting she'll accompany them.

This time, rather than a Ba'suon point of view character, author Karin Lowachee chooses Lilley, and we see his constant struggle to stay present and focus on Janan, and the other Suonkang family. He's also still dealing with his difficult relationship with Raka when they were soldiers, his feelings about participating in a war, as well as fighting on the side of those who had enslaved his family.

Lilley is committed to Janan, and the two have resumed their relationship, but he's also losing his grip on reality, and though he loves Janan deeply, is afraid that Raka will take everything from him eventually. This makes this last instalment in this trilogy more internal in its focus; the story is still dark, like the previous entries, but we really get to sit with Lilley's grief, confusion, and anger.

Lowachee's prose gives yet another perspective on the effects of colonization on a land's indigenous people, but also those not part of the rulers, and who suffer in different but genuine ways.

The story unfolds in the same quiet, measured way the previous entries did, and closes with our main characters contemplating a radical change to their land. There's closure, of a sort, but that leaves one wondering, in horror, at the cost. But, there is also hope, and friendship, and quiet mornings drinking tea by the fire, and appreciating one's family and friends. It's a lovely close to a terrific series.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Rebellion for this ARC in exchange for my review.

In this masterful conclusion to the The Crowns of Ishia trilogy, the author superbly concludes the epic adventure of Havinger Lilley and his friends. Continuing after the long-awaited reunion of Lilley and Janan, the novel delves deep into the aftermath of their battles. The main conflict is centered around Lilley's newfound bond with the soul of a king dragon and the man who gave his life to save it. This bond is a curse, not a blessing, and its danger is that it can erode his sense of self and shatter his relationships.

The northward journey to battle the sinister Kattakans is an engaging ride across a brutal, unclement environment. The author is at his best combining elements of traditional Western with high fantasy to forge an original "gunslinging dragonrider" epic. The stakes are high—the survival of the Ba'Suon people, their dragons, and their homelands depends on the choices of Lilley, Janan, and Meka. The emotional resonance is one of the book's main strengths, with the characters wrestling with love, loss, and the terrible weight of responsibility. The narrative achieves a complete and action-packed conclusion that respects the journey of its heroes and gives them a fitting closure for their struggle to survive. This is a must-read for those who have been with the show since the start.

There’s a particular kind of magic in closing the final page of a trilogy you’ve followed from the beginning — that bittersweet mix of satisfaction and loss. A Covenant of Ice, the conclusion to Karin Lowachee’s Crowns of Ishia trilogy, doesn’t just end a story; it delivers a storm of emotions, questions, and revelations that linger long after the book is closed.

This last chapter follows Havinger Lilley, a man scarred by slavery and haunted by his own instability, as he is reunited with Janan, his long-absent lover. But their reunion is anything but simple: Janan is now fused with the essence of Raka, the dragon-king who gave his life to preserve the bond. That connection begins to consume Lilley himself — his thoughts, his emotions, even his identity.

Driven by this unsettling bond, Lilley joins Janan and Meka on a perilous journey to the frozen north, the ancestral home of the Ba’Suon. Their mission collides with the expansionist Kattakans, whose hunger for domination threatens to annihilate not only the Ba’Suon but the suon (dragons) who give their world its soul.

What makes A Covenant of Ice so compelling is not just its sweeping landscapes or high-stakes conflicts, but its deeply introspective core. Lowachee takes us inside Lilley’s fractured psyche, forcing us to live his doubts, his fears, his fragile hopes. This is not just a story of war and survival — it’s a meditation on identity, colonialism, and the uneasy relationship between humanity and the natural world.

It’s also, quite simply, a story about love: love as salvation, as destruction, as something that can bind and unravel us at the same time.

Readers who have walked through A Crown of Starlight and A Kiss of Fire will find this finale both darker and more intimate. Lowachee doesn’t shy away from showing the cost of survival, nor from weaving difficult questions into her worldbuilding. The ending doesn’t tie everything neatly into a bow — instead, it leaves us with something far more precious: the sense that these characters, flawed and scarred as they are, carry forward into the unknown with dignity and resilience.

A Covenant of Ice is not just the end of a trilogy. It’s a mirror, reflecting back the struggles we all carry — the fight for identity, the scars of history, the fragile threads of connection that keep us going. For readers who crave fantasy that dares to be both epic and profoundly human, this is a finale worth savoring.

Karin Lowachee cannot write a bad book. There. I said it.
I loved books one and two (book two especially!), so I was a bit nervous to pick up A Covenant of Ice. Could Lowachee pull off a hat trick? Turns out, yes.
A Covenant of Ice is told from Havinger Lilley's perspective. After five years apart, he and Janaan have been reunited. He should be basking in joy, but Lilley's bond with the King Dragon comes with a link to Raka, who sacrificed himself to save it. Raka is living in Lilley's head, and Lilley is losing his grip on himself.
Where previous instalments in this series have had a strong focus on connection to country and the impact displacement has on indigenous communities, and this aspect remains present, Lilley's perspective brings a different angle on the violent expansion of the Kattakan empire.
Lilley was born into slavery in Kattakan and joined the military for the chance to earn his freedom. He feels no love for his birthplace, a stark contrast to the Ba'Suon people, who are deeply connected to the land and who feel keenly the loss of their ancestral home.
Lilley's connection with Raka is an interesting commentary on relationships and how caring for someone who is struggling with their mental health can harm both parties. Lilley always showed Raka kindness, and Raka responded to this kindness with an obsessive need to possess Lilley. Through this narrative, Raka's anger and jealousy directly harm Lilley, taking over his mind and distancing him from Janaan.
Lowachee has once again managed to pack a whole lot of heavy themes, beautiful prose, and satisfying character arcs into a novella.
I will recommend these books to anyone who mentions even a passing interest in dragons.

This final book in the trilogy tackled new grounds and expanded the world established in the previous two books even farther. I think the author took some risks with the rapid and abrupt changes to the POV in this final installment which sometimes worked really well to display the fractioning of Lilley's mind as Raka slowly took over. Other times it did make the story a bit disorienting and confusing (that could also have to do with reading this while on a 14 hour flight). But I really enjoyed the clean wrap up of all the loose ends left from the other stories and the chance to see all three 'main characters' together for a story. I could read many many more stories set in this world and continue to love the themes of living with the land and the idea that the nature around us has more agency than we often give it. I look forward to reading more of Lowachee's work

Thank you to Rebellion for the invitation to read this book early. And thank you to Netgalley for the eARC.

I love this series, and reading all three novellas back-to-back must be an incredible experience. A Covenant of Ice is a poignant, powerful conclusion to the Crowns of Ishia trilogy, tying every thread together after Mountain Crown and Desert Talon. It delivers a deeply satisfying reunion of characters—especially seeing my favorites from the first novella alongside Janan at last.

Lowachee’s writing is as thoughtful and beautiful as ever, painting a complex world with nuance and thematic depth. There are no easy answers here, and I admired the realism in tackling displacement, alienation, revenge, and reconciliation. The dragons were fabulous, the characters gripping, and the central relationship utterly absorbing in its highs and lows. The ending made me weepy with joy—a magnificent close to a smart, satisfying series.

I was able to jump into Covenant of Ice immediately after finishing The Desert Talon, so I was already fully immersed in this world, making the opening very enjoyable, & ever so slightly emotional (seriously, it was beautifully written)! As with book two, book three is written from a fresh perspective, although Lilley is of course already very well known to the reader by this point in the series, & the switching of storytellers is something I did really like about these books.

Something else I liked was how well written the relationships between characters could be – I don’t generally enjoy romances, & this series isn’t a romantasy (like so many books seem to be these days - ick) but the love between, for example, Lilley & Janan is palpable, & constantly got me in the feels. I also could feel the anger & frustration, or hope & joy, of the characters easily, & that is absolutely one of the author’s strengths.

Something I didn’t enjoy was how often things felt rushed – there were multiple times when I struggled to understand what was happening between Lilley & Raka because their interactions started & finished far too quickly. Unfortunately some things just aren’t described or unpacked enough for me, so I regularly felt like I had to guess what the author was trying to tell me; by no means do I expect a writer to spell every little thing out, but some more detail & allowing time for events to sink in before moving on to the next *big thing* would’ve made this series, & especially this instalment, so much more enjoyable.

I’m going to be posting a full series review on my blog, but, for now, I will say that book two was my favourite of the trilogy, so I went into Covenant of Ice very hyped up; however, I just ended up feeling underwhelmed, especially considering this is the last book of the series. It almost felt like a draft, one that still hadn’t been fully fleshed out yet. Emotional reactions to events & big, dramatic moments were missing, even when something big & emotional happened, plus there just wasn’t enough time to digest huge plot points, like a dragon committing mass murder…

I should have loved this series, & this book, & I suppose I did at times – I liked the characters & I desperately want to know more about the world-building & its politics, but ultimately things just felt too underdeveloped for me. Maybe I need to stick to chunky fantasy novels from now on as I’m sure there will be people who love these books as they are, & I absolutely would recommend them to people who enjoy fantasy novellas with less detail but a lot of meaningful emotions between characters.

A Covenant of Ice is the third and final novella in the fantasy series The Crowns of Ishia, written by Karin Lowachee, published by Solaris. A fitting finale to this trilogy full of themes such as loss, healing and heritage, examining our relationship with nature while still continuing with our excellent cast of characters, and giving us a different perspective for this final book, Lilley's.

Janan and Lilley have finally reunited after years separated; Lilley is back with his love, but this Janan is not the same as the one he remembered, as Janan is now tied to the dragon Raka and the remnants of the human soul. This bond also starts to permeate Lilley, getting fragments and pieces from the dragon, that he's not sure how to interpret, losing a bit the sense of his individuality.
In the backdrop, a Kattakan expedition towards the Northern lands of Ishia will force our characters to start a new travel, trying to reclaim those lands that once were for the Ba'Suon, and avoid a war between the powers that are threatening Ishia.

Choosing Lilley as the POV character makes this novella a bit different from the other two: less communication from the dragons, and there's a major focus on mental health. He's really struggling with the current situation, doubting his own role and still with unhealed trauma; it's a bit darker in some senses, but also gives us "the outsider POV" regarding the Ba'Suon.

The prose is equally poignant as in the previous novellas, with Lowachee putting a heavy focus on the reflexive nature of this series, especially regarding colonization and the displacement of the native people from their lands; some details like the magic and the own Ba'Suon history is expanded. In terms of pacing, you can expect something similar to the previous novellas, neither too fast but never slow.

A Covenant of Ice is a great way to close what for me is an excellent series; if you want a fantasy proposal that is not afraid to examine themes such as colonization with a queer focus, this is perfect!

A COVENANT OF ICE, the third book in Karin Lowachee’s Crowns of Ishia trilogy, digs into the series’ overarching themes of colonialism, displacement, and environmental degradation from yet another angle as it shifts its POV to Lilley, the formerly enslaved Kattakan who can handle dragons. On the surface, Lilley is a foreigner among the Ba’Suon, but he’s intimately connected to their worldview along multiple vectors. Lowachee contrasts his position to the Ba’Suon exile Raka’s as she explores the ties that now exist between them and what they mean for the wider conflict—and for the relationships Lilley values.

The subtlety that drew me in with the first two books initially worked against me here, possibly because I should’ve reread THE MOUNTAIN CROWN and THE DESERT TALON immediately beforehand. As the book builds momentum, though, everything snaps into place in the most glorious ways. (That ending!) I’ve had a wonderful time thinking about everything Lowachee does with this setup, and when I reread portions in search of certain details, I got so excited I actually vibrated a bit. This series is a standout among the recent resurgence of SFF novellas. I can’t wait to revisit the whole thing in one fell swoop a little ways down the line.

Highly recommended, especially to readers who wait until series are complete before they dive in. You have no excuse. Grab this.

Finished off the third in this novella fantasy series. I have to be honest that I was hoping for deepening world building and character development, but each book has instead focused on a different character and widened the world by adding more elements without explaining previous ones. I didn't end up understanding any more about the book than I did after book 1. The whole series has honestly been a little bit depressing, and I'm not sure I was the right reader for it.

If you are interested in a dragon fantasy series that deals with colonialism, forced migration, and wartime survival, this could be the one for you.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novella.

A Covenant of Ice is the third and last instalment to the Crowns of Ishia novella trilogy. A hefty story where each story follows a new character but still needs to be read in order. Honestly I would highly recommend to read these close together because they pack the most punch then.

In this book we follow Lilley who we met in book 1 and was heavily referenced in book 2. We now get his point of view on what has happened to him over the years. He hasn't had a happy life. Now he has finally found his love Janan back but he is tied to the dragon Raka who houses the remnant of the soul of Raka the human. Raka sacrificed himself to save this dragon. It ties heavily on Lilley who gets bits and pieces from the dragon to the point where he isn't sure what is his anymore.

As you can imagine from the above book, this isn't a happy book. It is filled with trauma and doubts about oneself. While I don't think it is outright said, you feel that Lilley might not want to continue living if this is what his life will be like. It is powerful though for this portion of mental health.

The backdrop of this whole series are the colonized Basuan who lost their homes to the Kattakans. It is a strong story and I would love to read more books in this setting. The islands, the ice planes. More on the Basuan and the magic that is written about.

I do think this might be my least favorite installment. That mostly has to do with Lilley who isn't my favorite character. I just preferred Janan and Meka. It is a personal preference. The book is still a great read.

Wasn't quite the way I thought things would wrap up, but it feels right though. Although I would have liked to see more of the arctic Suon and learn more about the culture there. I thought Lilley being sort of possessed or haunted by Raka's spirit was interesting. It was well done. I really enjoyed the BaSuon culture and their way of life. I would definitely have read longer books and more books about them.

A fitting end to a great trilogy, A Covenant of Ice wraps up loose ends and still manages to feel fresh and new.

Sometimes it's hard to review the end of a trilogy, especially a novella, but if you’ve read the first two, yes, this book completes the set and while it doesn’t feel as new as the others, because the worldbulding is fully set-up ar this point, it’s just as immersive and interesting.

The entire series has a very interesting balance between violence and compassion. The characters exist in a world that is openly hostile to them on multiple fronts, but they still manage to project a deep kindness for one another and a devotion to their causes and ideals. In the first two, there was more conflict on that aspect, but in this one, there are no more gray lines. The issue is more on a personal level, a sense of grief and letting go.

One thing this book did differently than the other two was an interesting point of view from a chaotic character that was not confusing, but definitely pushed the boundaries of following the trajectory of their thoughts. This added to the experience of a character, so it worked really well.

The tagline refers to the series as one of “gunslinging dragonriders,” but this doesn’t really fit. The book is so much deeper and complex than the comparison it seems to be making to another popular YA series about dragons, as it’s a nuanced deep dive into the impacts of colonialism and expansionism.

Overall, I really enjoyed this series and this book, though I think the first one was my favourite.

A Covenant of Ice is the third book in the Crowns of Ishia trilogy. This time, the POV is mostly from Lilley's point of view, except when it's from Raka's point of view. (The ghost currently possessing Lilley, not Dragon-Raka. Though that would have been interesting--and pretty much like a prose poem if the way they "talk" is any indication.) In this third installment Janan and his family are approached by the Mazemoor government to go to the north, so as to block off the attempts of the Kattakan to explore the region.

Absolutely no one wants to take this mission. They also want nothing to do with the Ba'Suon enastramyth, a boy named Gherijtana ele Railé the agent delivering the request brings with her. Yet somehow, they all end up going north. With the enastramyth in tow. This is in part because Raka (both dragon and ghost) are very insistent about going north, and part because Railé claims that his Greatmother had a vision that going north is necessary for some greater plan or purpose that Railé will not--or cannot--relate.

Things of course, do not go entirely to plan. (Or do go according to plan, considering we don't actually know the Greatmother's vision.) The northern dragons are not like the dragons of the Ba'Suon, or the dragons of the Mazoön. For one, they breathe ice, for another they are actually kind of terrifyingly territorial and have been holding off any and all potential settlers for a very long time. (Raka's family was the only Ba'Suon family they had a contract with.)

There is a lot of backstory into Lilley and to a lesser extent Raka's pasts, and their joint and separate traumas are explored--and has a great deal to do with the endgame of the plot. We also see the beginnings of Lilley and Janan's relationship, and how they met Raka. As a result we end up with a (slightly) more sympathetic view of Raka.

The falling action is something of a gut punch, as nature finally balances itself. (In so far as the situation with the Kattakan people colonizing Ba'Suon lands is concerned. There's still the mythicism towers that are draining the life out of Mazemoor...though I can certainly forsee a "balancing" on that end of the equation.) I enjoyed the book, and appreciated the potential of the open ending.

My over all feelings for the trilogy is that it's a great read with excellent worldbuilding. The characters are very fleshed out and distinct. I enjoyed their interactions and their developing relationships with each other. I liked the "western" feel of the setting, and the general message of "imperialism/colonialism is kind of terrible, actually." A great book with lots of action--in the sense of things actively happening, not so much in the way of fighting, mind--and emotional character arcs.

This review is based on a galley received from NetGalley.

I entirely fell in love with book 1 in this series and feel so lucky to have been able to read this advanced copy. Lowachee’s storytelling is a soul working experience wherein it seems the reader must move through the soul of the story to come out the other side with a new understanding of life. Dare I say this series has been a religious experience? I’m not sure I have a better term for it. Book 3 has the four heroes united after years of world and life changing events. While overjoyed, there is still anger and a brokenness lingering. They are all called upon to make another perilous journey to reestablish balance to themselves and the world.

Short concluding novella to the series. A great series. Thank you to the author. Thank you to # NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I enjoyed this trilogy very much, but this felt like an anticlimactic conclusion for what was building. The first half of the novella moved rather slowly, and the last third moved incredibly quickly. I'm happy that Lilley, Janan, and Meka got their good ending, but it felt rushed and unsatisfying. This installment, especially, had much less about the dragons, the suon, despite introducing a new type, which was a smidge disappointing. I still think this trilogy is worth reading, I'm just a little underwhelmed by the way it ended.

WIth this novella, Karin Lowachee cements her reputation as a master of painting a difficult, imperfect world and giving narrators from different, often polarized, sides of it a compelling voice to fill the world with. I keep mentally comparing this series to Warchild, and it's not the same - of course it is not - but something I have learnt to love and appreciate from it being masterfully pulled off again is just a pure pleasure to watch. It's bittersweet, it doesn't answer every question it raises, but boy does it leave an impression.

I love the writing in this series, each book is a little different in ways that reflect the POV character. I was, however, left wanting by the conclusion of this novella. There are still some unanswered questions, some loose threads. Maybe that's how this story needed to end, because there was never going to be a tidy ending to this story. All and all, it's well worth reading.

Hard to talk about this without spoiling, but this was a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy. I thought it wrapped everything up nicely - its a brutal and bloody world that these characters live in, so the bittersweet ending was fitting I think.
I'd love to read more from this universe, but I'm very satisfied with what we got!