I feel like I loved this book too much to even know how to start writing a review. It's been a LONG time since a book sucked me in like this one (I'm recalling the first all-nighter I pulled in college so I could read Catching Fire in one sitting...this was like that). It lives up to the hype & I'm SO GLAD I finally picked it up.

Violet is a reluctant candidate to become one of the few elite dragon riders, the people most responsible for protecting their nation from the near constant onslaught of attacks from neighboring gryphon flyers. As she struggles to survive, she also juggles the weight of old friendships, new attractions, and whether or not she can trust anyone at all with anything.

Filled with magic & a fascinating new world, this is one of the best first installments of a series I've read. Yarros so easily brings you into this world and leaves room for the reader to figure things out instead of force feeding you every bit of world building. The cast of characters feel real, lovable and frustrating and loathsome and adorable. I also found it a much easier/quicker read than a lot of fantasy, which helped to suck you in from the beginning.