4.5/5. This book blew me away. I am shocked at how much I loved it. It was action packed from the beginning. Oh and the characters? Violet is amazing. She's smart, cunning, empathetic, kind, strong, powerful... she is the moment. And Xaden? Look, my weakness is a grumpy sad boy with a soft spot for one person. But also, he's so much more than that. He's selfless and strong. He's empathetic and intelligent. He's possessive and protective. He cares for all the rebels' kids so much. And yes he has secrets, but he kind of has to.

Oh and the dragons! THE DRAGONS! Okay I am obsessed with Tairn. I love Andarna. Sgeayl? Obsessed. The bond that these dragons have with their riders is amazing. It's so cool and heartwarming. It's precious in every way. And the dragons' personalities are unique and wonderful and so fun.

The side characters are amazing, too. You really fall in love (or in deep hatred, depending) with each one.

The entire storyline is great, too. It's action packed. There are twists at every turn. I gasped more often than not. It was fun, fast faced, and exciting. I couldn't put it down. And the rules of the universe made sense. Nothing was ever just explained away because of magic or that's the way it is. I appreciated that.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in dragons or fantasy.

Notes: 3/5 spice levels, slow burn