Tropes you’ll find in this Romantasy:
🐉 Dragons
👑 Fae
❤️‍🔥 Slow burn
🔮 Magic system

I saw "dragons" and “recommended for Sarah J. Maas fans” and thought: yep, that’s for me. And honestly? It didn’t disappoint. This was such a fun read!

As a (new) adult reader, I wasn’t sure if a Young Adult fantasy would keep me hooked. But K.A. Linde absolutely proved me wrong. This was my first book by her, and she kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through.

The way she ended most chapters had me constantly saying “just one more.” They felt like mini cliffhangers—and while it wasn’t exactly ideal at 1 AM, I loved it. The occasional POV switch was also so well done—one in particular completely shocked me.

Now, a small note: while dragons are definitely part of the story, they don’t heavily interact with the characters in this first book (though it seems that might change later in the series). But the world-building and characters more than made up for it.

I especially loved Ker’s POV—she’s strong, stubborn, and such a good match for the dark prince, Fordham Ollivier. He’s broody, mysterious, and I wanted to know everything about him. I did wish for a bit more romantic tension between them, but since this is YA, the pacing makes sense.

The ending, though… 👀 It definitely piqued my interest for what’s coming next.
It gave me ACOMAF vibes, and I’m so here for it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!

I've been having a slump with fantasy lately, but I'm happy to say that this book pulled me out of it! It's a YA book focused on Kerrigan, a half-Fae who was abandoned as a child at Draco Mountain, and raised by the House of Dragons as a Dragon Blessed. Her goal is to join a House, but the problem is that she's half-Fae. She lives in a world where humans and half-Fae are looked down and viewed as lesser, so she's having to work past a lot of prejudice.

Not only that, but there's the fact that she has more magic than a half-Fae should reasonably have.

Either way, her focus is the tournament; an event that happens every 5 years and gives those nominated by a House the chance to win a dragon. This year, there's five dragons on offer, and it gets spicy when Prince Fordham Ollivier turns up. Everyone knows there's only 12 Houses, but Fordham is from a 13th, the House of Shadows who were exiled a thousand years ago.

No one likes him, and everyone isn't sure how to handle him and his Dark Fae abilities. Kerrigan is stuck with him as part of her duties, though, but it's not helped by the mysterious connection they seem to have. It's because of this that they end up wrapped up in a plot that's bigger than themselves and which Kerrigan has a personal stake in.

As I said, I really enjoyed this! The writing was great, the characters were interesting and fun, and I enjoyed the world-building. I actually bought the second book immediately, so I'll be dipping back into the world ASAP!

I loved the world of magic and dragons. The angst and love hate relationship between Kerrigan and Fordham is just beautifully annoying. Everyone loves an underdog and as a half -fae, Kerrigan definitely fulfills that. So many bits to follow there is no time to get bored!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to an ARC of House of Dragons by K.A. Linde in exchange for my honest review.

At first, I found it a little difficult to fully immerse myself in the story, but once I “fell into step” with Kerrigan, the main character, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. Each chapter pulled me in further, and I was eager to turn the page to see how the story would unfold.

Set in a vivid world of fae, half-fae, dragons, and of course the inevitable villains, the book quickly captures your imagination. You can’t help but root for Kerrigan—the little lost girl fighting against the odds—and hedge your bets on her defying expectations to rise above it all.

By the end, I was entirely invested and intrigued to see where the series will go next. There’s a huge scope for expansion in this world, and I can’t wait to devour the next installment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

House of Dragons is a fast-paced, gripping read filled with trials, secrets, and, of course, dragons. The writing is sharp and immersive, making it impossible to put down. I loved the unique magic system and the cast of compelling characters, each bringing something fresh to the story. The slow-burn tension was a definite highlight, and I’m already counting the days until book two—hoping for even more dragons and for that delicious slow burn to keep building.

Summary: Half-Fae Kerrigan, rejected by all tribes, strikes a desperate bargain—allying with a cursed prince to claim her birthright and destiny.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book, all thoughts are my own.

“They’re nearly as insufferable as you are.”
“And what does that make you, princeling?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Suffering.”

- I decided to give this book a go since I really enjoyed the authors other series
- This seems to be getting rereleased and I’m really happy it is otherwise I’d probably never have picked this up ( also by the authors note at the end I think this is possibly a spin off series which I’ll need to investigate )
- The FMC is 17 but this doesn’t read too young it’s definitely suited for older as well, it made it really easy to fall into and understand the world as nothing was too complicated
- It really has all the good stuff I like in a fantasy book , trials , dragons , an academy kind of setting , a shadow wielding MMC and a good friends group. assassins and murder mysteries.
- there’s a few other povs they get short chapters but it does really help connect to the side characters more.

I’m really looking forward to continuing this series as I’m assuming there will be a lot more dragon content in the next books
Thank you netgalley & pan Mac for this earc.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the early copy of this book in exchange for my review!

I read about 30% of this book and I don’t think it’s really for me. I really liked the introduction and the development of the characters; they’re very unique and easy to differentiate. I also love the idea of the dragons and there’s definitely a good plot in the book. Unfortunately the writing style just wasn’t one that I got along with as I felt there were quite a lot of short sentences which repeated the same information, and I didn’t really feel ‘hooked’ into the book.
Although I personally didn’t get on with this book, it’s moreso a personal issue and I wouldn’t say it’s a reflection of the author or their writing ability which is why I rate this book 3 stars.
People who love dragons, slow burn and angst will love this book though!

4.5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the early copy of this book. I love books about dragons so this was right up my street and I loved it. I cant wait for the next one to come out

Thank you Pan Macmillan/Tor Bramble and NetGalley for the ARC!

If I hadn’t read the acknowledgments at the end, I wouldn’t have been aware that this is a sequel of the author’s, seemingly taking place after the events of the “Ascension” series. Nonetheless, there is nothing in this novel which makes it seem like a sequel, the universe building and lore being thoroughly explained, and characters being newly introduced. (At the very least, that was my impression of a first time reader. Someone who has read the previous series might have some fun and nostalgic encounters here.)

The prose is simple and direct, but the plainness is counteracted by the thoroughness and care with which the world building is executed. The author has gone as far as to invent jargon, which shows a special kind of care and love towards the universe itself. As a high fantasy fan, it is very much appreciated. The narrative is presented from the main character’s perspective, Kerrigan, with little other points of view chapters here and there. The writing is done from the third person perspective, and sometimes has slips of an omniscient narrator point of view; I am not sure whether that is done on purpose or not, and will have to see if this continues in the following books of the series, however, considering Kerrigan’s abilities, I like to believe this is intentionally executed and it is not a slip on the editor’s side. As a (extremely biased) last comment regarding the writing style itself, this novel is honestly such a breath of fresh air nowadays, when the market is oversaturated with (frankly, very poorly written) first person perspective books. As such, “House of Dragons”, through writing alone, doesn’t feel like but genuinely is a serious high fantasy series, while also being part of the YA genre.

In a nutshell, the main plot within this novel is, at its core, a murder mystery, the thriller aspect of it being present at all times, making it difficult to put the book down. Through the investigations of Kerrigan and her partner-in-crime, Fordham, the exposition of the universe and its lore takes place with a sleek subtlety, allowing the reader to slowly immerse in the world of Alandria. The side plots, starting from Kerrigan’s own status in Society due to her being a half-Fae and Fordham’s own controversy due to him belonging to an exiled House, to the political machinations of those in power and those against them, all entwine beautifully at the end, when the resolution is reached, and their interconnection is neatly arranged.

It is very clear this is the first book of a longer series — the magic system still has many mysteries and the bonds with the dragons, along with most of the dragon lore, still remains to be seen. However, the bits we did get of the dragons, starting from their place of genesis, to their looks, personalities, and means of communication, were all very fun. I am keen to explore Fordham’s own side of the world in the following book, and see the powers of the dark Fae, and what the Shadows truly can do at full power. It will also be interesting to see how the Fae who were forced to be without a dragon bond behave, and how that lack of stability in their magic has affected their side of society.

The relationship between Kerrigan and Fordham is unforced and fluid — from skeptical strangers, to helping each other, finding out whom they are, forming a bond of friendship and loyalty, to having romantic feelings for one another. I enjoyed this; again, this is YA, and, in my opinion, this genre should always be between middle grade fantasy and adult. The natural progression in the main characters’ relationship is done very well and representative of that belief. It seems it will be a slow burn, but, again, this is very suitable for the YA genre.

Lastly, as to speak in the lingo of the fandoms, Kerrigan has reminded me of Aelin (Throne of Glass), Emma Carstairs (The Dark Artifices), FitzChivalry Farseer (The Realm of the Elderlings), with a touch of Vin Venture (Mistborn). As for Fordham, I found him having bits resembling Dorian (Throne of Glass), Cardan (The Folk of the Air), with a touch of Will Herondale (The Infernal Devices), and a regal allure a bit similar to that of Raoden (Elantris). As such, if you’d read any of those series and enjoyed them or the characters I mentioned, this one would be equally fun to explore. Personally, I will continue it and see how everything further develops and evolves.

Kerrigan is a fighter in the slums who is half-fae but has been blessed with all elemental magic along with an unusual gifts of visions of the future.

Kerrigan has been looking out for herself since her Royal Fae father left her at the doors to the House of Dragons when she was 5, she’s learned to be tough and has built herself quite the reputation.

Kerrigan is accepted as dragon blessed and is eventually outed as the “lost princess” and faces a tournament to bond with a dragon, however, things don’t go to plan and this is a great set up for book 2.

Kerrigans relationship with Ford is a special one, Ford learns to let go of his prejudice and learns for himself that half-Fae aren’t worthless. Their relationship blossoms but it’s not without its own challenges.

A great series opener, I can’t wait to dive into book 2!

Great read, cannot wait to read more as i am very intrigued- loved the characters and the representation of racism and the LGBT+ nods. Already purchased book two as i needed to hear more of the story

This boom really does give the same feelings and vibes as fourth wing, but I think more complexity to it. I dove straight into book 2 immedietly because of the addicting story telling.