Honestly, I never thought I’d read this book. Probably because the hype made me stay clear of it as I believed this not to be for me.. But girl, was I wrong. Is this story and writing perfect? No, definitely not. But I inhaled it nonetheless. Literally. The story was fast-paced, intriguing and surprisingly unique. I also - obviously - love the dragons. Violet is such a good female protagonist, who, despite what people might expect, is a lot more feisty and can stand her ground. Knowledge truly is power, and Violet shows that in a lot of instances. Dain, I hate him. That man annoyed me to my core and the fact that his loyalty is so strong he would even stand by when people he supposedly loves are getting ambushed just because it would break some rule had me fuming. And lets not talk about what we find out about him at the end.. Xaden is definitely a man of many faces and secrets, but one can undoubtedly see his feeling for Violet. The emotional growth he goes through and them two together really clicks for me. And that fate so happens to also link their dragons is just chef’s kiss. This story was really compelling, I loved the trials and also the way Violet grew stronger, also with the help of her friends. She did not let herself get gaslighted by Dain, who never saw her potential but just her weaknesses, but also stayed true to her believes despite her heart. She was brave for standing up to her bullies, which also led to gains. The world-building is more complex than I anticipated, so is the magic of this world. The history is rich and there were a lot of twists and turns, especially in the last 100 pages, that make me very excited for the next instalment in the series. I’m definitely rooting for them. The thing that was a bit lacking though was the writing. I flew through this book, so it definitely was compelling and easy to read. However, there were instances syntax made little sense, words were unnecessarily invented, or things were explained were complicated just to make it sound more mysterious. It did not impact the story, but I did have to read sentences or passages a second time to understand them. I can look over it because I but the enjoyment factor in fantasy above writing, but I do hope it improves in the next books. After these shocking last few chapters, I very much hope to continue Violet’s story soon.