Title: Shatter the Sky (Shatter the Sky #1)
Author: Rebecca Kim Wells
Genre: Fantasy
Edition/Pages: E-book, 304 pages
Goodreads page

I received an arc copy of this from Simon and Schuster via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary

Maren and Kaia dream of leaving behind their mountain home and the burden of their nation’s constant war. Until Kaia is kidnapped by the emperor’s prophets. In a desperate attempt to save her, Maren devises a plan to steal a dragon.

Overview

This is told in 1st person from Maren’s POV. It follows her as she leaves home, travels to fortress where dragons are trained, and then to the emperor’s stronghold. There is definitely quite a bit of travel in this story as well as training.

Also! I have thoughts about the relationship in this! If you’ve read this or don’t mind some mild spoilers about the relationship, check out my Goodreads review for my thoughts on this!

Content Warning: On page animal cruelty (dragons), soft cheating, kidnapping, racism, war

What I Liked

1. I loved Maren’s relationship/connection to the dragons! I felt myself starting to tear up every time she was separated from the baby dragon.
2. I really liked all of the characters and their depth. You really got to see how even the side characters ended up in the position they were. At the beginning of the book Maren was quick to believe that everyone that worked for the emperor was evil. But I appreciated that the author illustrated that things aren’t always that black & white.
3. Racism and animal abuse were very strongly addressed throughout this entire book but in a subtle, considerate way. Nothing about this book felt heavy handed.
4. The world building and character growth were fantastic. This world is quite large and the history is extensive. But I never felt overwhelmed. Also I loved how realistic Maren’s large character growth was. As she travels and meets people, her narrow view points about herself and the world grow substantially.

What I Didn’t Like

1. Because of how quickly Kaia is swept away from her home and Maren, I didn’t really have time to connect to/care about their relationship. And since the main plot of the book was Maren trying to save her heartmate, I struggled a little to connect fully.
2. This actually wasn’t a dislike for me, but I wanted to mention it because I think it could be something other people don’t love. Maren is bisexual and does begin to have feelings for a male character she spends a lot of time with. There is some soft cheating/feelings expressed so be aware of that going in, if it’s not something you’re comfortable with.

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Overall I thought this was wonderful start to a new series! I love the characters and the world and absolutely plan to continue on with book 2! If you’re looking for a new, queer fantasy with dragons, this is the perfect book!

♥♥♥♥