In this high fantasy world, the East and West nations are divided due to their differences, while an ancient enemy, a dragon who was banished long ago, awakens. The world-building here is intricate with histories, mythologies, religions, and politics. Each part of this world has a different history, but they are all connected and their enemy is the same. The Western queen, Sabran, has to conceive a daughter in order to save the lives of her people. And there is Ead, who was sent to Sabran’s court to keep an eye on the queen and protect her. But Ead is a mage who is loyal to her secret society of mages. In the East, Tane has trained as a dragon rider, but a decision of hers changes her life. As the forces of chaos rises, the nations have to set aside their differences and unlearn many things in order to help each other slay the enemy. This book consists of a huge cast of diverse characters. There is poc and queer representation and a tiny bit of mental heath and disability representation too. This book also has feminist undertones. The female characters here are strong and clever. The characters are from different backgrounds and beliefs, and they are all very fleshed out. Everyone’s perspectives and motives are complex. This book is immensely enjoyable. But the pacing is a bit slow. After a very long buildup, the final showdown in the book is a bit underwhelming. Nonetheless, the fight scenes are well paced, and the characters are interesting and lovable.

-Ariana