What can I say that the thousands of other reviews haven’t? Probably nothing, but here are my thoughts anyway!
This book was so good! Addictive, fast paced and compelling. I absolutely loved the world created, the idea of the different quadrants war collages and the bonding with dragons, it’s a world I will never get enough of.
The Riders quadrant is one of the four war collages - the only quadrant that takes volunteers only, not conscripts. And it is deadly. The percentage of people who survive to graduation compared to those who applied is minimal. Right from the start of sign-in they have a dangerous challenge to overcome, many many people die. And that’s day one! Each challenge gets harder and cadets die constantly. I am a sucker for an academy/ collage setting and the high stakes and high death toll made it all the more compelling. I loved each challenge and war game, always excited to see what would be thrown at them next.
And if that wasn’t enough our protagonist Violet is more fragile than most people. Her body breaks easily making her less suitable for Riders quadrant which is why she trained her whole life to be a scribe. Unfortunately despite her low odds of survival she is forced to join the Riders. I love seeing her journey from start to end as she grows into herself and learns to have more faith in her abilities and work around her needs. She is now one of my protagonists - not only strong and brave but also compassionate.
We also have an excellent cast of side characters. The friendship group that forms is full of characters I loved, and I enjoyed all the dynamics and seeing them progress as well. Xaden was top tier!! The way he treated Violet was perfection and his nickname for her?! Epic. Their dynamic was my favourite and their growth amazing.
Now, there was one character I hated deeply and immediately 😂 and that hatred only progressed but I think it was important for Violet to have that experience to be strong enough to stand up for herself.
The dragons were amazing. So grumpy and sassy I love it. And the training they had with their riders was so interesting. I really like the relationships they build with their riders and that the dragons are in charge.
Definitely a new favourite. It wasn’t perfect but entertainment value was high and I can see it really expanding in the rest of the series.
