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Dragon Circle #1
Digging for Heaven
The lands of Jeenobi and Aelshia are separated by hundreds of miles of dangerous desert, and antithetical views on dragons. Now, under a tenuous new peace agreement, Jeenobi has agreed to ban dragon slaying within its borders.
As a visiting ambassador to Jeenobi and a rider to the dragon Loren, Litz expected to meet resistance to all she represents. She did not expect Kella, the kingdom’s most famous living dragon slayer, and she certainly didn’t expect to find her attractive.
When Litz is forced into extraditing Kella to Aelshia for trial, they’ll discover more monstrous things in the wilds of the desert than each other, and they’ll need to put aside their differences if they want to survive. The future of both nations may hang in the balance.
As a visiting ambassador to Jeenobi and a rider to the dragon Loren, Litz expected to meet resistance to all she represents. She did not expect Kella, the kingdom’s most famous living dragon slayer, and she certainly didn’t expect to find her attractive.
When Litz is forced into extraditing Kella to Aelshia for trial, they’ll discover more monstrous things in the wilds of the desert than each other, and they’ll need to put aside their differences if they want to survive. The future of both nations may hang in the balance.
324 pages, Paperback
First published July 11, 2023
11 people are currently reading
660 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
July 7, 2023
A peace accord has been negotiated between the countries of Aelshia and Jeenobia. Litz, the dragon rider of Loren, a captain of the royal guard and a blood niece to the King of Aelshia is sent to Jeenobia as a royal ambassador. She is to quietly make sure the agreed rule of no dragon killing is being followed by the Jeenobians.
Kella is the most adored and renown dragon hunter in Aelshia. She has seen firsthand what dragons can do to humans if they so desired. Watching her mother die by a dragon’s flame has been her motivation to slew any dragon who has attacked humans.
Digging for Heaven is an opposite attracts romance / adventure story with my personal fantasy creature, dragons! And the dragons are beautifully represented with their inquisitive minds and ancient wisdom. I swear every time a dragon speaks I hear Sir Sean Connery’s voice in my head. (Name that dragon movie reference)
The adventure is split into two parallel halves with Litz and Kella on one side enduring a desert crossing and Kella’s brother Ker working on his plan to save his sister. Both stories are exciting yet I found Ker’s story more interesting until the last quarter of the book when both are blended together for an action packed conclusion.
There are a few definite lulls to the desert crossing where my interest lagged due to a decline in forward momentum. This is Jenna Jarvis’ first novel and a stumble in the pacing is to be expected. I am curious about how the title relates to the story. I have not figured that one out.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to fantasy readers. I truly wish we could assign half points because this is a solid 3.5 out of 5. Due to the dragons I will round up to 4 stars.
I received an advance review copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Kella is the most adored and renown dragon hunter in Aelshia. She has seen firsthand what dragons can do to humans if they so desired. Watching her mother die by a dragon’s flame has been her motivation to slew any dragon who has attacked humans.
Digging for Heaven is an opposite attracts romance / adventure story with my personal fantasy creature, dragons! And the dragons are beautifully represented with their inquisitive minds and ancient wisdom. I swear every time a dragon speaks I hear Sir Sean Connery’s voice in my head. (Name that dragon movie reference)
The adventure is split into two parallel halves with Litz and Kella on one side enduring a desert crossing and Kella’s brother Ker working on his plan to save his sister. Both stories are exciting yet I found Ker’s story more interesting until the last quarter of the book when both are blended together for an action packed conclusion.
There are a few definite lulls to the desert crossing where my interest lagged due to a decline in forward momentum. This is Jenna Jarvis’ first novel and a stumble in the pacing is to be expected. I am curious about how the title relates to the story. I have not figured that one out.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to fantasy readers. I truly wish we could assign half points because this is a solid 3.5 out of 5. Due to the dragons I will round up to 4 stars.
I received an advance review copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 20, 2023
5 ⭐️ an engrossing debut novel!
This is one of the best debut novels I have ever read! I cannot wait to read the sequel and anything else Jenna writes!
The depth of the characters and their growth over the book makes you root for them. They are complex and the relationships are very interesting, exploring family dynamics, political alliances and romantic relationships. The romance between Kella and Litz sizzles throughout the book.
I’m not normally a fan of fantasy but Jenna’s writing sets the scene so beautiful that I was transported and thoroughly enjoyed the world. The descriptions of dragons makes them come to life and I loved that we learned more about the history of the dragons as the plot unfolded.
The cliffhanger ending leaves you wanting more and I couldn’t stop thinking about the book after I finished it. I would highly recommend this book even if fantasy isn’t normally your favourite genre!
This is one of the best debut novels I have ever read! I cannot wait to read the sequel and anything else Jenna writes!
The depth of the characters and their growth over the book makes you root for them. They are complex and the relationships are very interesting, exploring family dynamics, political alliances and romantic relationships. The romance between Kella and Litz sizzles throughout the book.
I’m not normally a fan of fantasy but Jenna’s writing sets the scene so beautiful that I was transported and thoroughly enjoyed the world. The descriptions of dragons makes them come to life and I loved that we learned more about the history of the dragons as the plot unfolded.
The cliffhanger ending leaves you wanting more and I couldn’t stop thinking about the book after I finished it. I would highly recommend this book even if fantasy isn’t normally your favourite genre!
July 15, 2023
A truce between kingdoms whose views are rather different, a dragon rider and a dragon hunter put together on a political mission that could end up being volatile, what could possibly go wrong?
A lot, of course. This is a fantasy story, after all, and it seems that things aren't going to be easy.
There is a lot to love about this book. The setting is rich and interesting, and of course dragons are a big pull for me (I really do appreciate that they talk to their riders). The characters are interesting and definitely grow on you as the story progresses, and there is a lot going on in the story. This is only the first book in the series, the story finishing on a plot twist/cliff that will lead into the next book.
While there are quite a few pov's in the story, there are three main characters. The sapphic pairing is, of course, between Litz and Kella, though given that it is a series, what they have is in it early stages. Ker, Kella's brother, is the third main character, and he gets a decent amount of attention.
The story is written well and engaging (yes, I did find myself hooked), and it was a fun read. Very much a solid fantasy, with promises of much more to come. Very eager to see where the series goes.
A lot, of course. This is a fantasy story, after all, and it seems that things aren't going to be easy.
There is a lot to love about this book. The setting is rich and interesting, and of course dragons are a big pull for me (I really do appreciate that they talk to their riders). The characters are interesting and definitely grow on you as the story progresses, and there is a lot going on in the story. This is only the first book in the series, the story finishing on a plot twist/cliff that will lead into the next book.
While there are quite a few pov's in the story, there are three main characters. The sapphic pairing is, of course, between Litz and Kella, though given that it is a series, what they have is in it early stages. Ker, Kella's brother, is the third main character, and he gets a decent amount of attention.
The story is written well and engaging (yes, I did find myself hooked), and it was a fun read. Very much a solid fantasy, with promises of much more to come. Very eager to see where the series goes.
September 16, 2023
Thank you so much to netgalley for the arc!
I was absolutely blown away by this book in every aspect, which I was not expecting.
Digging for Heaven is the first book in a series about dragons, dragon riders, and dragon slayers. A kingdom that loves dragons, and a kingdom that hates them. Colonialism and its effects. Curses, magic and mayhem. Litz is a member of the royal family of Aelshia, a country that is built around dragons, where dragons and humans are equals. Kelly is Jeenobi’s most famous dragon slayer. Jeenobi hates dragons and views them as a threat. Aelshia and Jeenobi have just struck a tentative peace, when Litz has to extradite Kelly for killing a dragon even though it is now technically against the law in Jeenobi. But a massive desert lays between them and Aelshia, with countless perils. Plus, they both begin to develop feelings for each other…
I cannot begin to explain how much I loved this book! It reads like classic high fantasy, with a rich and vibrant world, where each culture in the book is unique from each other.
I think my favourite part is easily the dragons, I’m obsessed with how Jenna Jarvis has built the relationship between dragons and their riders, how the bonding process works, and dragon culture in general. It’s so different from anything I’ve read before and really goes in depth in a way other books like Fourth Wing don’t.
This book is SO queer. There’s a sapphic kiss in the first couple chapters. There’s nonbinary characters, asexual characters, and the main characters are lesbian and bisexual. There’s also deaf and mute representation!
The enemies to lovers tension was insane. I really liked seeing how Litz and Kella’s relationship progressed and how they really worked to see both sides of the clash between their cultures.
Have I mentioned I’m obsessed with the dragons?
Overall, I am in love with this book and need the sequel asap. If you loved Eragon, or Fourth Wing, or any dragon book tbh, you’ll love this one. The writing is fresh and fun, the characters interesting, and the world unique. What’s not to love?! 5/5 stars
I was absolutely blown away by this book in every aspect, which I was not expecting.
Digging for Heaven is the first book in a series about dragons, dragon riders, and dragon slayers. A kingdom that loves dragons, and a kingdom that hates them. Colonialism and its effects. Curses, magic and mayhem. Litz is a member of the royal family of Aelshia, a country that is built around dragons, where dragons and humans are equals. Kelly is Jeenobi’s most famous dragon slayer. Jeenobi hates dragons and views them as a threat. Aelshia and Jeenobi have just struck a tentative peace, when Litz has to extradite Kelly for killing a dragon even though it is now technically against the law in Jeenobi. But a massive desert lays between them and Aelshia, with countless perils. Plus, they both begin to develop feelings for each other…
I cannot begin to explain how much I loved this book! It reads like classic high fantasy, with a rich and vibrant world, where each culture in the book is unique from each other.
I think my favourite part is easily the dragons, I’m obsessed with how Jenna Jarvis has built the relationship between dragons and their riders, how the bonding process works, and dragon culture in general. It’s so different from anything I’ve read before and really goes in depth in a way other books like Fourth Wing don’t.
This book is SO queer. There’s a sapphic kiss in the first couple chapters. There’s nonbinary characters, asexual characters, and the main characters are lesbian and bisexual. There’s also deaf and mute representation!
The enemies to lovers tension was insane. I really liked seeing how Litz and Kella’s relationship progressed and how they really worked to see both sides of the clash between their cultures.
Have I mentioned I’m obsessed with the dragons?
Overall, I am in love with this book and need the sequel asap. If you loved Eragon, or Fourth Wing, or any dragon book tbh, you’ll love this one. The writing is fresh and fun, the characters interesting, and the world unique. What’s not to love?! 5/5 stars
April 29, 2024
Very good high fantasy. I am looking forward to the second book in the series.
June 24, 2023
So first off, I should say my review may be a tad biased (though i have done my best not to let it be!) because i know the author, and she is an utterly amazing person, and I'm so pleased that she has her first book being published!
But even then, I still really love this book!
It was a tad slow to get going, but i was intrigued and kept reading, needing to know how it would be possible for two people who should truly despise one another, could possibly end up falling for one another. Attraction alone cannot account for that. And I was rewarded! The book gets really exciting about halfway through, as other parts of the story and world begin to get woven into the tale, and I was really hooked, and by the end, i was desperate to know more, and hanging on every word. Thankfully, it seems there is a sequel on the horizon, so I will get more to read.
The characters are interesting and unique, each with their own voice and story to tell. It's not just Litz and Kella, you get the story from Kella's brother, Ker, who is brilliant, and the other characters, two dragons, a gremlin and a young mute boy, make excellent companions who join in as the story progresses.
There's some great world building here, and it's done in the way I like for fantasy books, where you are slowly introduced to aspects of the world (Rather than some books that will spend chapters just explaining the world to you before anything even happens), but the story isn't held back because you're thinking 'wait, i dont understand how this thing works in this world'. so overall, a perfect way to go about introducing a new fantasy world.
so i really recommend giving this book a read! I cant wait to read more from Jarvis, and especially more about these chracters and this world!
But even then, I still really love this book!
It was a tad slow to get going, but i was intrigued and kept reading, needing to know how it would be possible for two people who should truly despise one another, could possibly end up falling for one another. Attraction alone cannot account for that. And I was rewarded! The book gets really exciting about halfway through, as other parts of the story and world begin to get woven into the tale, and I was really hooked, and by the end, i was desperate to know more, and hanging on every word. Thankfully, it seems there is a sequel on the horizon, so I will get more to read.
The characters are interesting and unique, each with their own voice and story to tell. It's not just Litz and Kella, you get the story from Kella's brother, Ker, who is brilliant, and the other characters, two dragons, a gremlin and a young mute boy, make excellent companions who join in as the story progresses.
There's some great world building here, and it's done in the way I like for fantasy books, where you are slowly introduced to aspects of the world (Rather than some books that will spend chapters just explaining the world to you before anything even happens), but the story isn't held back because you're thinking 'wait, i dont understand how this thing works in this world'. so overall, a perfect way to go about introducing a new fantasy world.
so i really recommend giving this book a read! I cant wait to read more from Jarvis, and especially more about these chracters and this world!
July 23, 2023
A fun book for fun people who like dragons, and being true to their feelings.
Two ladies from houses, alike in dignity.
She’s a dragon rider. She’s a dragon slayer.
When they meet sparks might just fly…
Like a dragon.
Shout out to the little gremlin and the sensitive brother. Felt good to be represented. We need more gremlins in literature.
Two ladies from houses, alike in dignity.
She’s a dragon rider. She’s a dragon slayer.
When they meet sparks might just fly…
Like a dragon.
Shout out to the little gremlin and the sensitive brother. Felt good to be represented. We need more gremlins in literature.
January 15, 2024
Jenna Jarvis’ debut novel Digging for Heaven is the first book in a queer epic fantasy where you can read about will-based magic, sentient dragons, and dragonriders. There’s also disability rep and discussions on grief.
This book feels like a very beautiful mix of Samantha Shannon’s Priory of the Orange Tree as well as Anne McCaffrey’s Dragons of Pern series. It has that distinctly European flavor to the writing but it’s filled with humor in the form of playful characters and sarcastic dragons.
Like Priory, there are cultural and political differences between two regions that seem to have reached an amicable settlement for peace and yet still, fundamentally have different beliefs towards dragons. Unlike Priory, this book is very dragon-centric, and they play an integral role to the storyline.
Similar to the Pern series, there’s a telepathic link between the dragon and the dragonrider which allows for a very close bond between the two but I’m not going to go too deep into that as I feel reading it would be so much more fun
We open the book following Litz and Kella, a sapphic pairing, who are not only of different classes, but have vastly different relationships to dragons. Litz is a dragonrider princess from a land that reveres dragons while Kella is the most renown dragon hunter in her land. It allows for a gentle enemies-to-lovers romance although we already know from the get-go that they really do like each other. Seeing their relationship bloom was quite endearing and beautiful.
We also follow Ker, an openly ACE character, who’s on a mission to save his sister.
The creatures in the book were an absolute favorite of mine. The dragons had such three-dimensional personalities that I never thought I would read a book that would make me want to bond with a dragon more than I already did previously, but here I am wishing for things I can’t have. The cameo of non-binary gremlins was also so nice. I hope they make another appearance in the sequel. Every character in this book was really given such a full-bodied voice.
Three points of note, the start of the book is quite confusing- I initially thought there were more than three main characters cause of the switch from last name to first name and back in the different POVs. Also there were some points in the pacing that lagged, particularly the trek scene through the desert – but then again I feel like all trek scenes seem to lag in pacing no matter what book I read. And finally, I do wish there was a little more tension between Litz and Kella. I feel like the majority of the tension was with Ker and it made for a lot more engaging experience reading his POV.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book IMMENSELY and I highly, HIGHLY recommend this to anyone looking for a beautifully written queer book with sentient dragons, disability rep, and phenomenal full bodied characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review
This book feels like a very beautiful mix of Samantha Shannon’s Priory of the Orange Tree as well as Anne McCaffrey’s Dragons of Pern series. It has that distinctly European flavor to the writing but it’s filled with humor in the form of playful characters and sarcastic dragons.
Like Priory, there are cultural and political differences between two regions that seem to have reached an amicable settlement for peace and yet still, fundamentally have different beliefs towards dragons. Unlike Priory, this book is very dragon-centric, and they play an integral role to the storyline.
Similar to the Pern series, there’s a telepathic link between the dragon and the dragonrider which allows for a very close bond between the two but I’m not going to go too deep into that as I feel reading it would be so much more fun
We open the book following Litz and Kella, a sapphic pairing, who are not only of different classes, but have vastly different relationships to dragons. Litz is a dragonrider princess from a land that reveres dragons while Kella is the most renown dragon hunter in her land. It allows for a gentle enemies-to-lovers romance although we already know from the get-go that they really do like each other. Seeing their relationship bloom was quite endearing and beautiful.
We also follow Ker, an openly ACE character, who’s on a mission to save his sister.
The creatures in the book were an absolute favorite of mine. The dragons had such three-dimensional personalities that I never thought I would read a book that would make me want to bond with a dragon more than I already did previously, but here I am wishing for things I can’t have. The cameo of non-binary gremlins was also so nice. I hope they make another appearance in the sequel. Every character in this book was really given such a full-bodied voice.
Three points of note, the start of the book is quite confusing- I initially thought there were more than three main characters cause of the switch from last name to first name and back in the different POVs. Also there were some points in the pacing that lagged, particularly the trek scene through the desert – but then again I feel like all trek scenes seem to lag in pacing no matter what book I read. And finally, I do wish there was a little more tension between Litz and Kella. I feel like the majority of the tension was with Ker and it made for a lot more engaging experience reading his POV.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book IMMENSELY and I highly, HIGHLY recommend this to anyone looking for a beautifully written queer book with sentient dragons, disability rep, and phenomenal full bodied characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review
March 17, 2024
DIGGING FOR HEAVEN is the first book in a new series about two kingdoms separated by a desert who have only recently put down their weapons and created a fragile peace (bound a marriage) to foster good feelings. But as lesbian ambassador Litz and her dragon companion quickly discover, peace is hard to maintain when you are assigned to watch over local dragon-slaying legend Kella.
Because the dragons in Aelshia are maybe more separated from their Jeenobian cousins by more than just geography...
This book has me hooked from the start! It's multi-POV, mainly Litz, Kella, and Ker, with a few interludes of the king of Aelshia and his wife, with a strong opening, so many lovable characters and, to top it all off, one opinionated dragon!
The story builds upon its worldbuilding (one utopian-seeming dragon-friendly land in the jungles and one kingdom terrified of dragons) by expertly using its characters and their upbringing to show us this magical world and the political climate we are standing in.
Jarvis does not stray too far in the book but keeps close to the main cast to really let the reader get invested and fall in love.
And the intrigue of why the dragons are so different across the desert was fascinating - we've already learned so much but I cannot wait to discover even more.
There is an f/f relationship slowly building with some strong enemies-to-lovers vibes and with Ker, we get an asexual main character, something I absolutely loved! Not to mention so many side characters I want to see again.
If you are looking for an engaging debut that involves dragon killers and dragon lovers, culture exchange, a journey across a desert, and some quirky fantastical animal companions, I highly recommend giving Digging For Heaven a chance.
I received an advanced reading copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Because the dragons in Aelshia are maybe more separated from their Jeenobian cousins by more than just geography...
This book has me hooked from the start! It's multi-POV, mainly Litz, Kella, and Ker, with a few interludes of the king of Aelshia and his wife, with a strong opening, so many lovable characters and, to top it all off, one opinionated dragon!
The story builds upon its worldbuilding (one utopian-seeming dragon-friendly land in the jungles and one kingdom terrified of dragons) by expertly using its characters and their upbringing to show us this magical world and the political climate we are standing in.
Jarvis does not stray too far in the book but keeps close to the main cast to really let the reader get invested and fall in love.
And the intrigue of why the dragons are so different across the desert was fascinating - we've already learned so much but I cannot wait to discover even more.
There is an f/f relationship slowly building with some strong enemies-to-lovers vibes and with Ker, we get an asexual main character, something I absolutely loved! Not to mention so many side characters I want to see again.
If you are looking for an engaging debut that involves dragon killers and dragon lovers, culture exchange, a journey across a desert, and some quirky fantastical animal companions, I highly recommend giving Digging For Heaven a chance.
I received an advanced reading copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2023
4.5/5 stars!
This was such a great book full of adventure, drama, excitement, and of course…dragons! Jenna did a phenomenal job of world building to create this epic story about a dragon slayer and a dragon rider from two countries separated by hundreds of miles of desert with a shaky peace agreement and very opposite views on dragons.
Kella is one of the greatest dragon slayers from Jeenobi. And what is a dragon slayer going to do? Slay dragons. But now dragon slaying is outlawed under the new peace agreement. That won’t stop Kella though. Not when justice calls. Except this time she didn’t get a free pass. So what does the king (and her ex) do? Sends her with the dragon rider to Aelshia to be dealt with.
Litz is an Aelshian princess, niece of the king (who’s a woman, which is awesome), and a dragon rider - bonded to a dragon named Loren. Needless to say, neither Litz nor Loren are very fond of the cocky dragon slayer.
Their journey is full of escape attempts, sand terrors, kidnapping, and of course…a budding romance between the unlikely pair. It's mostly flirty banter and kissing (eventually) between Litz and Kella, but you can see them beginning to truly care for the other and feel the connection between them growing. It's low spice, but not low on chemistry!
And there’s also Kella’s brother Ker who sets out to save her. Both Litz and Ker are also magic users. And one thing these two countries have in common is their disdain for magic and those who use it.
It did take me a bit to really get into the story between figuring out who all the people were, the use of last names and nicknames, and just getting a sense of the world and switching POVs. But once I got into the flow, I was hooked! It ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I’m hoping that means there is more to come! I really enjoyed this book. There was also lots of representation in this book - queer, non-binary, ace, deaf, and more.
Also…I want to bond with a dragon now. 🐉😁
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books and this is my honest review.
This was such a great book full of adventure, drama, excitement, and of course…dragons! Jenna did a phenomenal job of world building to create this epic story about a dragon slayer and a dragon rider from two countries separated by hundreds of miles of desert with a shaky peace agreement and very opposite views on dragons.
Kella is one of the greatest dragon slayers from Jeenobi. And what is a dragon slayer going to do? Slay dragons. But now dragon slaying is outlawed under the new peace agreement. That won’t stop Kella though. Not when justice calls. Except this time she didn’t get a free pass. So what does the king (and her ex) do? Sends her with the dragon rider to Aelshia to be dealt with.
Litz is an Aelshian princess, niece of the king (who’s a woman, which is awesome), and a dragon rider - bonded to a dragon named Loren. Needless to say, neither Litz nor Loren are very fond of the cocky dragon slayer.
Their journey is full of escape attempts, sand terrors, kidnapping, and of course…a budding romance between the unlikely pair. It's mostly flirty banter and kissing (eventually) between Litz and Kella, but you can see them beginning to truly care for the other and feel the connection between them growing. It's low spice, but not low on chemistry!
And there’s also Kella’s brother Ker who sets out to save her. Both Litz and Ker are also magic users. And one thing these two countries have in common is their disdain for magic and those who use it.
It did take me a bit to really get into the story between figuring out who all the people were, the use of last names and nicknames, and just getting a sense of the world and switching POVs. But once I got into the flow, I was hooked! It ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I’m hoping that means there is more to come! I really enjoyed this book. There was also lots of representation in this book - queer, non-binary, ace, deaf, and more.
Also…I want to bond with a dragon now. 🐉😁
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books and this is my honest review.
July 7, 2023
I love reading about dragons and this was well written and engaging. A dragon rider and a dragon slayer wouldn't be an ideal match at all in most cases but Litz and Kella learn more about each other and the different dragons after Litz is told to bring Kella back to Aeishia.
It started off slow and took awhile to engage me, but with all the world building that was done. It was intriguing to learn and I look forward to the next book as this one ended on a cliffhanger.
Overall, I would recommend this book.
It started off slow and took awhile to engage me, but with all the world building that was done. It was intriguing to learn and I look forward to the next book as this one ended on a cliffhanger.
Overall, I would recommend this book.
July 1, 2023
A dragon rider and a dragon slayer. A match made in heaven or h**l?
The war that existed between Jeenobia and Aelshia has been resolved by a royal marriage and dragon hunting is no longer allowed under the new Jeenobian king. Litz is tasked with extraditing Kella from Jeenobia to Aelshia for slaying dragons. No easy task. But during the course of their journey they come to see why each of them does what they do. The dragons of Jeenobia do not seem the same as other dragons. Why is this?
Also the cessation of the war does not suit everyone and steps are being taken to try and re-start it.
The book ends on a cliff hanger and is interesting and enjoyable enough for me to look forward to a sequel.
The war that existed between Jeenobia and Aelshia has been resolved by a royal marriage and dragon hunting is no longer allowed under the new Jeenobian king. Litz is tasked with extraditing Kella from Jeenobia to Aelshia for slaying dragons. No easy task. But during the course of their journey they come to see why each of them does what they do. The dragons of Jeenobia do not seem the same as other dragons. Why is this?
Also the cessation of the war does not suit everyone and steps are being taken to try and re-start it.
The book ends on a cliff hanger and is interesting and enjoyable enough for me to look forward to a sequel.
July 14, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a sucker for the enemies-to-lovers trope, and I love a good dragon book. Fortunately, Digging For Heaven is full of both. Overall, it is a really solid novel, especially as the author's first published novel, with some fascinating world building that seems to lay the groundwork for a sequel or perhaps even an expanded series. I was drawn in by the strong characters -- Kella in particular -- but kept reading for the rich and distinct cultures created as a part of this world, each with their own ideology that more often that not clashes with those around them in meaningful and world-changing ways.
I did, however, have some issues with the pacing and the general plot progression. Litz and Kella, the aforementioned enemies-to-lovers, are presented in the description as the main characters of the novel. That being said, they didn't really feel like the major forces actually driving the plot forward. Too often, events just seemed to happen to them rather than the other way around. If anything, it was Ker, Kella's younger brother, that actually seemed to be the one working to discover the truth of his world and to affect change in some way. By the end, I found myself impatient to return to his narrative just so I could learn something more about the world. Sometimes, though, that took a while since the plot seemed to grind to a crawl once Kella and Litz reached the desert. However, multiple POV's did help break this up a little bit, and so it didn't feel like too egregious of an issue.
Time and again, I found myself unable to shake the mental comparison I was making between this novel and The Priory of the Orange Tree. There are a lot of similarities (beyond the dragons) in the ways that differing cultures and clashing ideologies are presented in both novels, extending even to political machinations taking place behind the scenes. However, while Priory really took the time to build a rich and complex world, it didn't always feel like Digging For Heaven gave itself enough space to do the same. I would be really interested to see how future iterations in this series add to the foundation that has already been laid.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to any reader interested in queer fantasy featuring dragons that isn't afraid to be a little patient with a novel while it reveals itself a little bit at a time.
I'm a sucker for the enemies-to-lovers trope, and I love a good dragon book. Fortunately, Digging For Heaven is full of both. Overall, it is a really solid novel, especially as the author's first published novel, with some fascinating world building that seems to lay the groundwork for a sequel or perhaps even an expanded series. I was drawn in by the strong characters -- Kella in particular -- but kept reading for the rich and distinct cultures created as a part of this world, each with their own ideology that more often that not clashes with those around them in meaningful and world-changing ways.
I did, however, have some issues with the pacing and the general plot progression. Litz and Kella, the aforementioned enemies-to-lovers, are presented in the description as the main characters of the novel. That being said, they didn't really feel like the major forces actually driving the plot forward. Too often, events just seemed to happen to them rather than the other way around. If anything, it was Ker, Kella's younger brother, that actually seemed to be the one working to discover the truth of his world and to affect change in some way. By the end, I found myself impatient to return to his narrative just so I could learn something more about the world. Sometimes, though, that took a while since the plot seemed to grind to a crawl once Kella and Litz reached the desert. However, multiple POV's did help break this up a little bit, and so it didn't feel like too egregious of an issue.
Time and again, I found myself unable to shake the mental comparison I was making between this novel and The Priory of the Orange Tree. There are a lot of similarities (beyond the dragons) in the ways that differing cultures and clashing ideologies are presented in both novels, extending even to political machinations taking place behind the scenes. However, while Priory really took the time to build a rich and complex world, it didn't always feel like Digging For Heaven gave itself enough space to do the same. I would be really interested to see how future iterations in this series add to the foundation that has already been laid.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to any reader interested in queer fantasy featuring dragons that isn't afraid to be a little patient with a novel while it reveals itself a little bit at a time.
August 9, 2023
Intense adventure!
Litz and Kella have opposing views on dragon slaying, but when they are forced to travel together after Kella is extradited for trial, they didn’t expect to be attracted to one another. Along the way they find themselves facing the wilds and learn that their survival means depending on one another, but that could just be the key to resolving their nations’ differences and restoring peace for dragons.
I was absolutely fascinated by this fantasy adventure. Even though it had darker undertones because of the focus on Kella’s dragon slaying and her nation’s stance on changing the law to ban it, it held lots of magic and mystery. The story really was about Kella and Litz finding understanding in one another’s views but concluding on agreement that meant peace for all. Kella really had an experience because she was travelling across lands and relying on those she’d previously slayed to come to her rescue from monsters more deadly in the wilds. It was a real learning curve for her and proved that sometimes just because of your experience it doesn’t mean your view is correct or should be applied to all.
There were much deeper and more meaningful experiences and emotions for Kella to unpack on her journey with Litz. I loved how we got dangerous moments but how Kella learned whatever you perceive as a threat it is always good to assess a bigger picture and remember that no matter how big that threat seems there is always the possibility there is bigger, scarier one lurking, both in the physical, mental, and emotional states. Once Kella stopped trying to be difficult, a lesson she unfortunately had to learn the hard way, she really tried understanding Litz’s views and could finally begin to grow.
Great adventure with twists and turns to keep not just the characters guessing that I really enjoyed. Hope there will be future stories with Kella and Litz, as I am sure an exciting future now awaits.
Litz and Kella have opposing views on dragon slaying, but when they are forced to travel together after Kella is extradited for trial, they didn’t expect to be attracted to one another. Along the way they find themselves facing the wilds and learn that their survival means depending on one another, but that could just be the key to resolving their nations’ differences and restoring peace for dragons.
I was absolutely fascinated by this fantasy adventure. Even though it had darker undertones because of the focus on Kella’s dragon slaying and her nation’s stance on changing the law to ban it, it held lots of magic and mystery. The story really was about Kella and Litz finding understanding in one another’s views but concluding on agreement that meant peace for all. Kella really had an experience because she was travelling across lands and relying on those she’d previously slayed to come to her rescue from monsters more deadly in the wilds. It was a real learning curve for her and proved that sometimes just because of your experience it doesn’t mean your view is correct or should be applied to all.
There were much deeper and more meaningful experiences and emotions for Kella to unpack on her journey with Litz. I loved how we got dangerous moments but how Kella learned whatever you perceive as a threat it is always good to assess a bigger picture and remember that no matter how big that threat seems there is always the possibility there is bigger, scarier one lurking, both in the physical, mental, and emotional states. Once Kella stopped trying to be difficult, a lesson she unfortunately had to learn the hard way, she really tried understanding Litz’s views and could finally begin to grow.
Great adventure with twists and turns to keep not just the characters guessing that I really enjoyed. Hope there will be future stories with Kella and Litz, as I am sure an exciting future now awaits.
July 29, 2023
Dragons! Start of an epic fantasy tale
This is an epic fantasy tale by debut author Jenna Jarvis.
I loved that the whole story, the whole world-building revolves around dragons: the dragon friends and dragon riders of Aelshia, the dragon haters and hunters of Jeenobi and the fragile peace between the two realms. And it seems that Kella, the dragon hunter, has by killing a dragon which goes against the peace accords upset the fragile balance. She is to be brought for judgement to Aelshia by royal ambassador and dragon rider Litz.
And thus an epic journey through the desert between the two ancient lands starts - there is adventure, quite a lot of adventure, there are surprising developments and the mystery why two realms, why Kella and Litz perceive dragons so differently starts to unravel.
I loved the very detailed and in-depth world-building, I loved the insights into dragon lore, I loved the characters and there are more than Kella and Litz which we learn to be important to the story. BTW there is a very, very, very slow burn between the female main characters. The focus is not on romance!
The cons: The pacing was at times off and the story was slacking in the middle. I got quite irritated when I realized about 50 pages before the end that there would be no final resolution and the story ends in a hurriedly done cliffhanger where the plot seems to be inconsistent. Is there something wrong with announcing a book as first in a series? The story arc and the reader expectation are different! If possible this story would be rated by me 3.5 out of 5.
Thanks to netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC. The review is left voluntarily.
This is an epic fantasy tale by debut author Jenna Jarvis.
I loved that the whole story, the whole world-building revolves around dragons: the dragon friends and dragon riders of Aelshia, the dragon haters and hunters of Jeenobi and the fragile peace between the two realms. And it seems that Kella, the dragon hunter, has by killing a dragon which goes against the peace accords upset the fragile balance. She is to be brought for judgement to Aelshia by royal ambassador and dragon rider Litz.
And thus an epic journey through the desert between the two ancient lands starts - there is adventure, quite a lot of adventure, there are surprising developments and the mystery why two realms, why Kella and Litz perceive dragons so differently starts to unravel.
I loved the very detailed and in-depth world-building, I loved the insights into dragon lore, I loved the characters and there are more than Kella and Litz which we learn to be important to the story. BTW there is a very, very, very slow burn between the female main characters. The focus is not on romance!
The cons: The pacing was at times off and the story was slacking in the middle. I got quite irritated when I realized about 50 pages before the end that there would be no final resolution and the story ends in a hurriedly done cliffhanger where the plot seems to be inconsistent. Is there something wrong with announcing a book as first in a series? The story arc and the reader expectation are different! If possible this story would be rated by me 3.5 out of 5.
Thanks to netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC. The review is left voluntarily.
October 30, 2023
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book... and what an adventure it was
dragons, dragon killers, magic and goblins it was all in this book
litz is a dragon rider and an ambassador of Aelshia
kella is the Jeenobi kingdom’s most famous living dragon slayer
litz and kella and though they share a kiss in the market place the next time they meet up is for litz to extradite kella to aelshia for the killing of a dragon
but they have to cross the desert before they can get to litz country and there are hidden dangers there
its a slow build up while you get to know the characters and the dragons aint half bad either,,,
dragons, dragon killers, magic and goblins it was all in this book
litz is a dragon rider and an ambassador of Aelshia
kella is the Jeenobi kingdom’s most famous living dragon slayer
litz and kella and though they share a kiss in the market place the next time they meet up is for litz to extradite kella to aelshia for the killing of a dragon
but they have to cross the desert before they can get to litz country and there are hidden dangers there
its a slow build up while you get to know the characters and the dragons aint half bad either,,,
July 7, 2023
First I want to thank netgalley for providing an ARC for Digging for Heaven.
The war between Jeenobia and Aelshia is put to a halt with a marriage between King Jev and Princess Eisha. As part of the marriage Jeenobians must stop killing dragons that Aelshian's hold in high regard. Kella is captured killing a dragon and to prevent her becoming a martyr Litz a dragon rider must take her back to her king.
This is an enemies to lovers adventure fantasy. The world feels fleshed out and I love the dragons in this novel. They're inquisitive and beautiful and have some elements of Anne McCaffrey's Dragon riders of Pern series, Loren is a delight. I love how she has had many different riders and she still doesn't fully understand humans, Kella is confident and strong and doesn't let life bring her down, Litz is a capable soldier and honorable woman.
There are lulls in the story as the story progresses through the desert. It felt as plodding as if I was walking through the sand myself. And sometimes the back and forth through the change in POV was not as smooth as it could have been.
Overall this is a decent fantasy book for a debut novel. It does end in a cliff hanger that leaves me curious for the next book.
I give this 4 out of 5 stars and do recommend it to people who enjoy fantasy novels especially ones with dragons.
The war between Jeenobia and Aelshia is put to a halt with a marriage between King Jev and Princess Eisha. As part of the marriage Jeenobians must stop killing dragons that Aelshian's hold in high regard. Kella is captured killing a dragon and to prevent her becoming a martyr Litz a dragon rider must take her back to her king.
This is an enemies to lovers adventure fantasy. The world feels fleshed out and I love the dragons in this novel. They're inquisitive and beautiful and have some elements of Anne McCaffrey's Dragon riders of Pern series, Loren is a delight. I love how she has had many different riders and she still doesn't fully understand humans, Kella is confident and strong and doesn't let life bring her down, Litz is a capable soldier and honorable woman.
There are lulls in the story as the story progresses through the desert. It felt as plodding as if I was walking through the sand myself. And sometimes the back and forth through the change in POV was not as smooth as it could have been.
Overall this is a decent fantasy book for a debut novel. It does end in a cliff hanger that leaves me curious for the next book.
I give this 4 out of 5 stars and do recommend it to people who enjoy fantasy novels especially ones with dragons.
July 29, 2023
A story about different nations trying to live under a treaty the people find errors with. One nation likes to preserves the lives of dragons while the other hunts them. With Dragon killing no longer an option, our characters find themselves in difficult times. LGBTQ representation and a satisfying story all around
August 20, 2023
Listen, I'm the first to admit that I'm 1000% biased, since the author is one of my best friends - but also wow!! Incredible! This book was so fun - if you love action and adventure and dragons and an incredible, rag tag group of characters, then you should definitely give this a read.
September 3, 2023
What fantastic worldbuilding by Jenna Jarvis. I was completely immersed in Litz and Kella's lives..
I need a sequel asap!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing an eARC for a honest review.
I need a sequel asap!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing an eARC for a honest review.
July 12, 2023
The book started out slow but turned out quite enjoyable. The characters are unique and quite interesting. I recommend, 4stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC.
Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC.
Want to read
July 11, 2023A sapphic dragon rider and sapphic dragon slayer??? Yes pls
July 6, 2023
Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for this e-arc!
Digging For Heaven follows Litz, a royal dragon rider, and Kella, a famed dragon slayer, on their journey through a perilous desert. I loved the banter between the two and following Kella's brother Ker as he attempted to follow his sister. With many dragons and possibly even more F-bombs, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
Digging For Heaven follows Litz, a royal dragon rider, and Kella, a famed dragon slayer, on their journey through a perilous desert. I loved the banter between the two and following Kella's brother Ker as he attempted to follow his sister. With many dragons and possibly even more F-bombs, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
February 5, 2024
I really struggled to figure out a review for this book. This is a debut novel that ostensibly is everything I want out of fantasy- sapphic storylines, dragons, and plenty of magic- and I wanted to rate it highly because of that. I want more of books like this one. But I found that the characters themselves felt underdeveloped, and their motivations weak. Relationships develop incredibly quickly, and don't feel earned. Interesting plotlines are cut off for the sake of the "main plot", which, even halfway through the book, could basically be boiled down into "fucking around in the desert". All of the potential worldbuilding we could have explored is abandoned in order to explore sand with a couple fantasy creatures in it.
(Additionally, the character descriptions leave much to be desired. Kella is described as having locs falling over her face- which I interpreted as her being a black woman. It wasn't until I was discussing the book with my roommate that I discovered she was apparently meant to be a white redhead. The only thing I have in my head about Litz, even though I finished over half of the book and she's one of the main characters, is "tall" and "wears earrings".
I know almost nothing about the cultural differences between Jeenobi and Aelshia, or what makes either of them distinct from each other. The lack of description in the novel overall left me without a sense of culture or world. I'm not saying that you need to follow every conceit of the genre if you want to write fantasy, but there's a reason fantasy has a reputation for being info-dumpy, and it's not because they want to make it hard to read. It's because if you're dumped in a fantasy world with no description, no one is going to know what's going on.)
I'm also not impressed by what I have understood thus far about the dragons and their implications on the politics between the two main countries. Instead of choosing to navigate something complicated and allowing dragonslaying to be inexcusable, While as a plot point I find nothing wrong with this, it severely weakens the tension between Litz and Kella. Instead of allowing their relationship to be an interesting enemies to lovers, it becomes just a big misunderstanding- which, while easier to write, has much less payoff for the reader.
Overall, I'm just disappointed. I went into this book hoping to love it after it was recommended to me by my best friend, but I found myself really struggling through it. Ordinarily I would not review a book before finishing it, but in all honesty, I finish most books I start. If I'm not finishing this one, it's not for lack of trying.
(Additionally, the character descriptions leave much to be desired. Kella is described as having locs falling over her face- which I interpreted as her being a black woman. It wasn't until I was discussing the book with my roommate that I discovered she was apparently meant to be a white redhead. The only thing I have in my head about Litz, even though I finished over half of the book and she's one of the main characters, is "tall" and "wears earrings".
I know almost nothing about the cultural differences between Jeenobi and Aelshia, or what makes either of them distinct from each other. The lack of description in the novel overall left me without a sense of culture or world. I'm not saying that you need to follow every conceit of the genre if you want to write fantasy, but there's a reason fantasy has a reputation for being info-dumpy, and it's not because they want to make it hard to read. It's because if you're dumped in a fantasy world with no description, no one is going to know what's going on.)
I'm also not impressed by what I have understood thus far about the dragons and their implications on the politics between the two main countries. Instead of choosing to navigate something complicated and allowing dragonslaying to be inexcusable, While as a plot point I find nothing wrong with this, it severely weakens the tension between Litz and Kella. Instead of allowing their relationship to be an interesting enemies to lovers, it becomes just a big misunderstanding- which, while easier to write, has much less payoff for the reader.
Overall, I'm just disappointed. I went into this book hoping to love it after it was recommended to me by my best friend, but I found myself really struggling through it. Ordinarily I would not review a book before finishing it, but in all honesty, I finish most books I start. If I'm not finishing this one, it's not for lack of trying.
August 20, 2023
⭐ 3.5 rounded up to 4 ⭐
Solid book! A very well-paced first book of a promising epic fantasy journey that I would love to read more about.
There are times when a blurb holds more promise than the book but this is NOT one of those times! I love the story so much! I thought this was just going to be an enemy-to-lovers romance but it was so much more than that. The story mostly revolves around Litz and Kella's journey but the book still managed to paint a picture of this fantasy world and insert some interesting subplots that I'm really hoping to dig deeper in the next installments. Plus, the way it all ties together is genius! The book managed to tie multiple plotlines without overwhelming me. A romance between a dragon slayer and a dragon rider, a brother traumatized by being previously bonded with a dragon, a dragon struggling to find her identity, two kingdoms that don't seem to want the peace forged by their leaders, a marriage of convenience with a promise of something more, a tribe practicing magic looking for a home, political plays among different species... I mean, my god, this was a really amazing storyline!
It took a while for me to be invested especially since I didn't like how the initial meetings went for the characters but it just got better and I was eventually charmed. Read my complete thoughts about them in my blog!
I really like this book. It has so much potential to be an excellent series that I would love to embark on. The plots were all cleverly designed and the pacing of their reveals is top-notch! I love that the subplots have layers -- from a simple romance between two people to a nation's war, and then to a potentially all-out war between different species? Genius execution.
My only real turnoff is that the narration is just not my style. I'm not really sure what it is about them that didn't draw me in even during the fighting sequences. I had to read the first two chapters twice to understand what was going on too. But once I was in, I was there and finished it in one sitting because the characters are fun to read. They had enough depth and I like the banters and playful conversations.
I recommend this for people into fantasy, especially involving dragons, who like a good world-building fantasy but not looking for something so heavy. Also to people looking to read a clean, lesbian romance with a well-executed enemy-to-lovers trope.
Solid book! A very well-paced first book of a promising epic fantasy journey that I would love to read more about.
There are times when a blurb holds more promise than the book but this is NOT one of those times! I love the story so much! I thought this was just going to be an enemy-to-lovers romance but it was so much more than that. The story mostly revolves around Litz and Kella's journey but the book still managed to paint a picture of this fantasy world and insert some interesting subplots that I'm really hoping to dig deeper in the next installments. Plus, the way it all ties together is genius! The book managed to tie multiple plotlines without overwhelming me. A romance between a dragon slayer and a dragon rider, a brother traumatized by being previously bonded with a dragon, a dragon struggling to find her identity, two kingdoms that don't seem to want the peace forged by their leaders, a marriage of convenience with a promise of something more, a tribe practicing magic looking for a home, political plays among different species... I mean, my god, this was a really amazing storyline!
It took a while for me to be invested especially since I didn't like how the initial meetings went for the characters but it just got better and I was eventually charmed. Read my complete thoughts about them in my blog!
I really like this book. It has so much potential to be an excellent series that I would love to embark on. The plots were all cleverly designed and the pacing of their reveals is top-notch! I love that the subplots have layers -- from a simple romance between two people to a nation's war, and then to a potentially all-out war between different species? Genius execution.
My only real turnoff is that the narration is just not my style. I'm not really sure what it is about them that didn't draw me in even during the fighting sequences. I had to read the first two chapters twice to understand what was going on too. But once I was in, I was there and finished it in one sitting because the characters are fun to read. They had enough depth and I like the banters and playful conversations.
I recommend this for people into fantasy, especially involving dragons, who like a good world-building fantasy but not looking for something so heavy. Also to people looking to read a clean, lesbian romance with a well-executed enemy-to-lovers trope.
July 4, 2023
"The thing about full-grown dragons was that while they didn't normally make a lot of noise, when they decided to, the sound could rattle right through the bones."
✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️
Jeenobi and Aelshia have long been at war, that is until the King of Jeenobi and the princess of Aelshia entered into a marriage in the hopes of pursuing peace. Their kingdom's are hundreds of miles apart, but that is nothing compared to the distant views their lands share on dragons.
Litz, a dragon rider, and Aelshian ambassador knows that dragon slaying is a common practice in Jeenobi, but she refuses to understand why. On her royal visit, Litz is faced with the famous dragon slayer Kella, who is determined to break the new laws and possibly interrupt the fragile harmony of their two kingdom's.
Who better to determine the dragon slayers fate than the rulers of Aelshia, and who better to deliver Kella to her trial than the duty bound dragon rider Litz?
Crossing the endless miles of sand is no small task, but doing so as enemies might prove to be impossible. When they are faced with all the danger the savage desert has to offer, can they put their differences aside or suffer failure, leaving both nation's peace hanging by a thread?
✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️
What happens when a Dragon Rider meets a dragon slayer? COMPLETE AND UTTER CHAOS
What happens when author Jenna Jarvis delivers this story? A CONCEPT EXECUTED WITH ROARING PERFECTION
An adventure with Dragons, a Tatooine like setting and LGBTQ rep!
This was PURE fun! I want to be Kella when I grow up! She is a whirlwind of beautiful mayhem. I laughed at her antics the entire book. I was beyond entertained... I loved the plot, the characters, and the subtle romance.
I am thankful that this is set to be a series because I am so excited to see where this journey goes!
March 6, 2024
Digging for Heaven by Jenna Jarvis is an absolutely amazing book. There's incredible depth to its characters and an amazingly deep and fleshed out world.
This was such an incredibly enjoyable read. I could hardly put it down. It had such a captivating way of tying the plot and characters together. Both Litz and Kella's opposing relationships to dragons and each other are intrinsically tied to the politics and worldbuilding.
Litz is a Dragonrider, traveling to Jeenobi to smooth over the contentious peace treaty. While Kella is a dragon slayer, who protects her people from dragons much different than Litz knows. While Aelshia reveres and cares for dragons known for their intelligence and bonds with humans, Jeenobi despises dragons that cause destruction to their people.
Both countries have a detailed worldview and culture that's expertly tied to each character.
The leads were amazing. They started off as opposites, but gradually started learning from each other's beliefs. Litz, a more uptight and awkward but skilled soldier, disgusted by Jeenobi's mistreatment of dragons, and Kella, more laid-back, loud, and outwardly heroic, while internally scared.
Their relationship is investing and their understanding develops slowly over the book. I absolutely loved both of their growth.
Ker as well was a really interesting, surprising protagonist. I wasn't expecting a lot from him, but he ended up being just as deep, with a haunted past linked to his sister, Kella.
Digging for Heaven is an amazing queer fantasy. Litz and Kella develop a romance -- again, I loved their growth together. They really challenged each other in a way that made each other better as people. Litz is a lesbian and Kella is bi. Ker is also ace-spectrum. And there's at least one nonbinary character. The rep is built seamlessly into the book in a way I loved
As a debut author, Digging for Heaven is incredible and I can't honestly imagine how much better Jenna Jarvis' writing will get. There's so much depth, detail, and great writing already. I really think this is one of the best debuts I've read.
This was such an incredibly enjoyable read. I could hardly put it down. It had such a captivating way of tying the plot and characters together. Both Litz and Kella's opposing relationships to dragons and each other are intrinsically tied to the politics and worldbuilding.
Litz is a Dragonrider, traveling to Jeenobi to smooth over the contentious peace treaty. While Kella is a dragon slayer, who protects her people from dragons much different than Litz knows. While Aelshia reveres and cares for dragons known for their intelligence and bonds with humans, Jeenobi despises dragons that cause destruction to their people.
Both countries have a detailed worldview and culture that's expertly tied to each character.
The leads were amazing. They started off as opposites, but gradually started learning from each other's beliefs. Litz, a more uptight and awkward but skilled soldier, disgusted by Jeenobi's mistreatment of dragons, and Kella, more laid-back, loud, and outwardly heroic, while internally scared.
Their relationship is investing and their understanding develops slowly over the book. I absolutely loved both of their growth.
Ker as well was a really interesting, surprising protagonist. I wasn't expecting a lot from him, but he ended up being just as deep, with a haunted past linked to his sister, Kella.
Digging for Heaven is an amazing queer fantasy. Litz and Kella develop a romance -- again, I loved their growth together. They really challenged each other in a way that made each other better as people. Litz is a lesbian and Kella is bi. Ker is also ace-spectrum. And there's at least one nonbinary character. The rep is built seamlessly into the book in a way I loved
As a debut author, Digging for Heaven is incredible and I can't honestly imagine how much better Jenna Jarvis' writing will get. There's so much depth, detail, and great writing already. I really think this is one of the best debuts I've read.
May 27, 2024
Priory of the Orange Tree meets Fourth Wing!
Characters: 10/5
This book have numerous POVs (both FMCs, dragons, FMC's brother), and I found them to be fairly balanced. The dragons were present throughout the book, and I love the talking-through-the-mind aspect between the humans and the dragons. I loved the diversity of the main POV characters (asexual, lesbian, bisexual) and the secondary characters (deaf, nonbinary). The characters had depth to them, flaws and all, that made them feel very three-dimensional.
Ker was my favorite, but I thought his inner-turmoil plot line was a great addition to his story.
Plot: 5/5
This book is the first in a series, which means that it introduces the characters and the world more heavily. But this book started off with a BANG! The background was spread out throughout the book as the characters learned more about each other, rather than just info dumping the first few chapters. This book did a great job of showing not telling, which I loved.
The main plot was the journey to Aelshia from Jeenobi, but there were many side quests and adventures taking place between the two lands. I am a sucker for a quest/adventure plotline, and this one did not disappoint.
Worldbuilding: 4/5
Overall, the book did a great job of explaining the world, and I know that not everything was explained (most pertaining to the magic aspect) but it makes sense given how little the characters know about it as well. I wish there had been a map or something to help picture what the land looks like, since all I really know is that Aelshia is a forest, Jeenobi is near water, and there is a desert in the middle.
Pacing: 4/5
The journey across the desert took up like 80% of this book, but I didn't mind one bit. I liked getting to see the 2 FMCs getting closer (enemies-to-lovers was portrayed beautifully), as well as Ker's POV. I do wish that maybe there would have been a chapter or 2 more in Aelshia in the beginning of the book to give more background on Litz, but I hope that will be explained in the next book.
Characters: 10/5
This book have numerous POVs (both FMCs, dragons, FMC's brother), and I found them to be fairly balanced. The dragons were present throughout the book, and I love the talking-through-the-mind aspect between the humans and the dragons. I loved the diversity of the main POV characters (asexual, lesbian, bisexual) and the secondary characters (deaf, nonbinary). The characters had depth to them, flaws and all, that made them feel very three-dimensional.
Ker was my favorite, but I thought his inner-turmoil plot line was a great addition to his story.
Plot: 5/5
This book is the first in a series, which means that it introduces the characters and the world more heavily. But this book started off with a BANG! The background was spread out throughout the book as the characters learned more about each other, rather than just info dumping the first few chapters. This book did a great job of showing not telling, which I loved.
The main plot was the journey to Aelshia from Jeenobi, but there were many side quests and adventures taking place between the two lands. I am a sucker for a quest/adventure plotline, and this one did not disappoint.
Worldbuilding: 4/5
Overall, the book did a great job of explaining the world, and I know that not everything was explained (most pertaining to the magic aspect) but it makes sense given how little the characters know about it as well. I wish there had been a map or something to help picture what the land looks like, since all I really know is that Aelshia is a forest, Jeenobi is near water, and there is a desert in the middle.
Pacing: 4/5
The journey across the desert took up like 80% of this book, but I didn't mind one bit. I liked getting to see the 2 FMCs getting closer (enemies-to-lovers was portrayed beautifully), as well as Ker's POV. I do wish that maybe there would have been a chapter or 2 more in Aelshia in the beginning of the book to give more background on Litz, but I hope that will be explained in the next book.
August 22, 2025
I was not expecting this book to be so good! I adore dragons, they're my favourite mythological creature, but, oftentimes, they're not written in the way that I like: as intelligent, cunning, powerful, mysterious creatures that have other goals in life than helping some humans defeat the villain. I was so glad to see that wasn't the case here. I especially liked the reason why dragons bonded with humans in this book. In fact, I thought that the entire lore was really well done, there wasn't anything really groundbreaking, but the way the author reframed and combined some pretty common themes made them feel quite fresh. Another thing I enjoyed were all the little stories the characters told, they were included seamlessly, and I found it both funny and fascinating that one of the stories was quite different depending on which culture the storyteller belonged to. The plot was fast-paced and compelling and the characters were quite fleshed out and complex. I found Kella to be a bit too much in the beginning, but, by the end, she became my favourite. I think that the only thing I disliked a bit was that sometimes povs changed too quickly and too frequently.
Very much looking forward to book two.
Very much looking forward to book two.
July 24, 2023
The synopsis here was what really drew me to want to read. I'm all about dragons and fantasy type stories, and though the story was good and very original, it felt very lackluster in the execution. The conversations had a lot of modern day slang, while it worked in the context it was being used, it seems to conflict with how the rest of the characters are speaking within dialog. There were several instances of the work "Dude" being referenced when once character was speaking with the other that really took you out of the emersion into the story. Litz, Kella, Ker, and Loren were relatable and able to understand why/how they were feeling what they were. The progression of the story was slower than I would have liked to see with how much ability there was for action/deeper character growth as it moved along. Being left with a cliffhanger at the end after the slow movement of the storyline really left me disappointed. Overall it was a good story, but not something that would be something I would want to read over and over again.
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