econsidine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A classic Victorian-style social drama about a high society family in turmoil after the death of their patriarch leaves them in disagreement over their inheritance.
Except that everyone is a dragon and the inheritance dispute is mainly over who gets to eat what part, and how much, of their father's body.
It's the rare combo of a top-notch premise and flawless execution. It's dry humor social commentary with a highly creative world. It's the best of Jane Austen and the best of Anne McCaffrey rolled into one delightful story. It's a reminder that, for all our social graces and scripts, it's all just obscuring true animalistic instincts and monstrous threats. And the dragons canonically wear hats.
Except that everyone is a dragon and the inheritance dispute is mainly over who gets to eat what part, and how much, of their father's body.
It's the rare combo of a top-notch premise and flawless execution. It's dry humor social commentary with a highly creative world. It's the best of Jane Austen and the best of Anne McCaffrey rolled into one delightful story. It's a reminder that, for all our social graces and scripts, it's all just obscuring true animalistic instincts and monstrous threats. And the dragons canonically wear hats.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Death, Violence, Child death, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Classism, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Grief, and Confinement
yogomagpie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this story. The characters, the lore, the drama. However, the pacing felt rushed after about 2/3 through. The ending consisted of several abrupt moments of resolution, wrapped up in a bullet point-like way. A couple endings were a little outrageous, and makes me wonder what was the point of worrying over the previous 300 pages. Despite the ending, I enjoyed the book and do recommend it to Fantasy and Victorian lovers as well as Wings of Fire fans. I’ll be on the lookout for Walton’s other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Sexism, Miscarriage, Murder, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Abandonment, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Minor: Rape
apersonfromflorida's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Kidnapping, and Trafficking
Minor: Sexual violence
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