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House of Dragons: A Royal Houses Book 1
House of Dragons is an enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romantasy that has been called ‘Fourth Wing meets Throne of Glass’, from No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author K. A. Linde.
Ten years ago, half-Fae, half-human Kerrigan Argon was discreetly dropped off at the steps of Draco Mountain with nothing but a note. Her life changed completely as she was swept into the care of the House of Dragons – an elite training programme for gifted Fae.
On the year of their seventeenth name day, each student is chosen by one of the twelve tribes of Alandria to enter society. This year, everyone is chosen, except Kerrigan.
So, she strikes a bargain with the Dragon convince a tribe to select her or give up her birthright forever. With the unlikeliest of allies – Fordham Ollivier, the cursed Fae prince who escaped his dark throne – she has to chart her own destiny to reshape the world.
Introducing the Royal Houses the story of Kerrigan Argon, a half-Fae, half-human, as she seeks her place in an unforgiving world filled with magic, mayhem and romance. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black and Rebecca Yarros.
Discover the second heart-pounding book in the series, House of Shadows.
Ten years ago, half-Fae, half-human Kerrigan Argon was discreetly dropped off at the steps of Draco Mountain with nothing but a note. Her life changed completely as she was swept into the care of the House of Dragons – an elite training programme for gifted Fae.
On the year of their seventeenth name day, each student is chosen by one of the twelve tribes of Alandria to enter society. This year, everyone is chosen, except Kerrigan.
So, she strikes a bargain with the Dragon convince a tribe to select her or give up her birthright forever. With the unlikeliest of allies – Fordham Ollivier, the cursed Fae prince who escaped his dark throne – she has to chart her own destiny to reshape the world.
Introducing the Royal Houses the story of Kerrigan Argon, a half-Fae, half-human, as she seeks her place in an unforgiving world filled with magic, mayhem and romance. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black and Rebecca Yarros.
Discover the second heart-pounding book in the series, House of Shadows.
479 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2025
2 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 7, 2025
Fourth Wing meets Fear the Flames. No, not the Game of Thrones show.
Addictive, spunky, fun.
Half-fae Kerrigan was left in the care of the House of Dragons, the home of Fae training to be selected by the different powerful tribes.
Not only is she not chosen, Kerrigan is assigned to escort the dangerous Shadow Fae in the highly anticipated Tournament where the chosen will become a dragon rider.
I read this in one sitting.
There are crime lords, fighting rings, amazing found family.
The slow burn is SLOOOOW.
The dragons are not a huge feature of this book PSA.
”Someone once told me that if you master your fear, you’ll do great things. So for most of my life, I’ve walked right into every fear I’ve had. I face them and embrace them. I don’t want to have any fears holding me back on my way to greatness.”
“Hmm,” Fordham said. […] “Well, that doesn’t sound like you aren’t afraid of anything. It sounds like you’ve learned to live with your fears every day of your life. Which means you’re afraid all the time, of everything, but no one can see it.”
What I also appreciated was the conversation around prejudice and racism (in terms of fae and human). Whilst it was heavy handed at times, I liked how this was interwoven into the story and the heroine is shown she isn’t the worst off either.
It is a fun romantasy that had me turning the pages. Yes, it was very predictable, but I will continue on for a good time.
”They’re nearly as insufferable as you are.”
“And what does that make you, princeling?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Suffering.”
Physical arc gifted by Tor.
(If you saw this review on another book also called House of Dragons before switching to this, no you didn’t).
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Addictive, spunky, fun.
Half-fae Kerrigan was left in the care of the House of Dragons, the home of Fae training to be selected by the different powerful tribes.
Not only is she not chosen, Kerrigan is assigned to escort the dangerous Shadow Fae in the highly anticipated Tournament where the chosen will become a dragon rider.
I read this in one sitting.
There are crime lords, fighting rings, amazing found family.
The slow burn is SLOOOOW.
The dragons are not a huge feature of this book PSA.
”Someone once told me that if you master your fear, you’ll do great things. So for most of my life, I’ve walked right into every fear I’ve had. I face them and embrace them. I don’t want to have any fears holding me back on my way to greatness.”
“Hmm,” Fordham said. […] “Well, that doesn’t sound like you aren’t afraid of anything. It sounds like you’ve learned to live with your fears every day of your life. Which means you’re afraid all the time, of everything, but no one can see it.”
What I also appreciated was the conversation around prejudice and racism (in terms of fae and human). Whilst it was heavy handed at times, I liked how this was interwoven into the story and the heroine is shown she isn’t the worst off either.
It is a fun romantasy that had me turning the pages. Yes, it was very predictable, but I will continue on for a good time.
”They’re nearly as insufferable as you are.”
“And what does that make you, princeling?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Suffering.”
Physical arc gifted by Tor.
(If you saw this review on another book also called House of Dragons before switching to this, no you didn’t).
Bookstagram
Tiktok
September 14, 2025
Dark intrigues, dragons, magic, and a kingdom in chaos.
House of Dragons is the first installment in the Royal Houses series and tells the story of young Kerrigan Argon, half-Fae, half-human, who was rejected by her father at a young age and has since grown up in the House of Dragons. Her life is turned upside down when she is unexpectedly called to take an exam that is normally reserved for the great noble houses. In a world where magic, status, and ancestry determine one's worth, Kerrigan must assert herself against prejudice, political power games, and her own past. Ironically, she is aided in this endeavor by the prince of the notorious House of Shadows, the young Fordham Olivier. As dark secrets come to light, more is at stake than just victory—namely, the future of the entire empire.
Kerrigan herself is an interesting protagonist—wild, smart, stubborn. Her will to survive and her ability to assert herself in a hostile environment make her a strong protagonist, even if her development sometimes progresses faster than is emotionally believable.
The romance subplot with Fordham Olivier is a classic frenemies-to-lovers dynamic. Fordham has secrets, is initially aloof, and you're eager to see how his ice begins to melt. The chemistry is right, even if I would have liked more depth in the relationship at times.
At the heart of the story is the competition in which Kerrigan must prove herself in order to ultimately claim her own dragon. The plot was told very quickly in parts and very slowly in others. And even though the premise with dragons, magic, and the different houses was very promising, I would have liked to see much more worldbuilding and detail in this regard. Unfortunately, I sometimes didn't feel like I could really immerse myself in the world.
House of Dragons is thus an entertaining start with a classic YA fantasy feel with dragons, intrigue, and morally ambivalent characters for fans of Fourth Wing and Dragon Games.
Many thanks to the team at Linde, Tor Bramble, and NetGalley for the free e-ARC.
House of Dragons is the first installment in the Royal Houses series and tells the story of young Kerrigan Argon, half-Fae, half-human, who was rejected by her father at a young age and has since grown up in the House of Dragons. Her life is turned upside down when she is unexpectedly called to take an exam that is normally reserved for the great noble houses. In a world where magic, status, and ancestry determine one's worth, Kerrigan must assert herself against prejudice, political power games, and her own past. Ironically, she is aided in this endeavor by the prince of the notorious House of Shadows, the young Fordham Olivier. As dark secrets come to light, more is at stake than just victory—namely, the future of the entire empire.
Kerrigan herself is an interesting protagonist—wild, smart, stubborn. Her will to survive and her ability to assert herself in a hostile environment make her a strong protagonist, even if her development sometimes progresses faster than is emotionally believable.
The romance subplot with Fordham Olivier is a classic frenemies-to-lovers dynamic. Fordham has secrets, is initially aloof, and you're eager to see how his ice begins to melt. The chemistry is right, even if I would have liked more depth in the relationship at times.
At the heart of the story is the competition in which Kerrigan must prove herself in order to ultimately claim her own dragon. The plot was told very quickly in parts and very slowly in others. And even though the premise with dragons, magic, and the different houses was very promising, I would have liked to see much more worldbuilding and detail in this regard. Unfortunately, I sometimes didn't feel like I could really immerse myself in the world.
House of Dragons is thus an entertaining start with a classic YA fantasy feel with dragons, intrigue, and morally ambivalent characters for fans of Fourth Wing and Dragon Games.
Many thanks to the team at Linde, Tor Bramble, and NetGalley for the free e-ARC.
October 4, 2025
I absolutely ate this book up. Shadow daddies have definitely been having a moment in the Romantasy genre, and Fordham Ollivier is not an exception to that. His quick wit and verbal spars with Kerrigan were fun to read. I found myself missing reading their dialog any time they were not on the page together. It sounds like the next book in the series is going to have us explore who he is and where he came from more, and I'm very excited for it. Kerrigan Argon, while a little bit too cocky for me, is a main female character I can easily get behind. Her perseverance in spite of her past was something that I was celebrating.
This book is fast paced, and I found myself able to read it in a day -despite it's over 400-page length. I was engrossed in the story from beginning to end, and I was constantly on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was about to happen next. The yearning between our two main characters was top tier. I also loved reading another series that gives us dragons and their thoughts. These dragons can speak directly into people's minds, and their thoughts about things kept me giggling. I'm invested in this series and I can't wait to read book 2!
Thank you to NetGalley, Bloom Books, and K. A. Linde for an eARC of this novel to review.
This book is fast paced, and I found myself able to read it in a day -despite it's over 400-page length. I was engrossed in the story from beginning to end, and I was constantly on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was about to happen next. The yearning between our two main characters was top tier. I also loved reading another series that gives us dragons and their thoughts. These dragons can speak directly into people's minds, and their thoughts about things kept me giggling. I'm invested in this series and I can't wait to read book 2!
Thank you to NetGalley, Bloom Books, and K. A. Linde for an eARC of this novel to review.
October 7, 2025
Book Review 📚
House of Dragons by K.A. Linde 🐉
3.75 ⭐️ This was a quick fun, fantasy read for me. I really enjoyed it, but certain aspects just didn’t do it for me (and that may just be a me problem) and that’s okay! Kerrigan and Fordham? LOVED THEM and can’t wait to see what happens in the next book, because they have such good chemistry and banter. That being said I really do wish the tournament aspect of the book was shown more because it was so intriguing, I also think the writing wasn’t the best but I still found myself enjoying the story and the murder-mystery, someone’s out to kill me vibes. I also hope that we get to see more of the dragons in the next book because I felt that we didn’t get as much in this one as I was hoping for. Overall, I really had a good time reading this and will be continuing with the rest of the series especially after that ending!! ☺️
Thank you to NetGalley, K.A. Linde, and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this arc!! ☺️
House of Dragons by K.A. Linde 🐉
3.75 ⭐️ This was a quick fun, fantasy read for me. I really enjoyed it, but certain aspects just didn’t do it for me (and that may just be a me problem) and that’s okay! Kerrigan and Fordham? LOVED THEM and can’t wait to see what happens in the next book, because they have such good chemistry and banter. That being said I really do wish the tournament aspect of the book was shown more because it was so intriguing, I also think the writing wasn’t the best but I still found myself enjoying the story and the murder-mystery, someone’s out to kill me vibes. I also hope that we get to see more of the dragons in the next book because I felt that we didn’t get as much in this one as I was hoping for. Overall, I really had a good time reading this and will be continuing with the rest of the series especially after that ending!! ☺️
Thank you to NetGalley, K.A. Linde, and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this arc!! ☺️
September 19, 2025
"House of Dragons" by K.A. Linde is a captivating start to the Royal Houses series, blending magic, romance, and adventure into a YA romantasy that fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and V.E. Schwab will appreciate. Kerrigan Argon’s journey as a half-Fae outcast striving to find her place in a world that often rejects her is both heartfelt and thrilling. The dynamic between Kerrigan and Fordham Ollivier, the cursed prince, adds rich layers of tension and slow-burn romance, while the dragon academy setting brings a fresh, enchanting backdrop. With familiar yet beloved tropes like enemies to lovers and secret identities, the story weaves a compelling tale of identity, choice, and power that promises an exciting series ahead.
October 7, 2025
I was wondering if this would just be another version of Fourth Wing. And while it is a story that involves dragon riders, it's definitely it's own story. Kerrigan was abandoned by her low-life dad and grew up Dragon Blessed as a result. She's always wanted to be more, but was lucky to not be destitute. She's also scrappy, which I feel like is par for the course in this type of book. There's definitely a lot of prejudice towards anyone who isn't a full fae. There's also visions, powers, and lots of lies. I didn't enjoy it as much as I have loved the Holly and Wren books, but this is a totally appropriate YA alternative (little to no swearing, no spicy times) if that is something that interests you!
October 7, 2025
This series has been on my TBR for a long time, since I picked up my first book by this author and saw she has a series with dragons. My one weakness other than dogs and pretty books. When I saw she was giving this series a makeover, I bumped this up on my TBR immediately. It was worth it, I am hooked on this adventure of a book and can't wait to read the next book in this series. It has everything you could want in a book, all the best tropes, the slowest slow burn (yes, please!!!), and amazing world building. The characters were amazing, and that plot!!! I know I say it often (I may have a problem), but I could not stop reading this book once I started.
September 28, 2025
What I loved most was the atmosphere, lush, dangerous, and unpredictable. The characters are complex and ambitious, each with their own agendas, which makes the shifting dynamics exciting to follow. Add in dragons (always a win for me), and you’ve got a fantasy that feels both classic and fresh. There were moments where the pacing dipped, and a few sections leaned a little heavy on setup, but overall it didn’t take away from my enjoyment. The twists and betrayals more than made up for it, keeping me invested right through to the end.
October 6, 2025
This book sucked me in! I never wanted to put it down and I can’t wait to read the rest in the series. I fell in love with the characters and their relationships. I’ve been left wanting more.
October 6, 2025
I only knew the author's name in contemporary romance so I was intrigued by this YA romantasy.
The world building is good, the author takes time to explain this fae world, the geography, the politics, the magic. I liked it.
Then, there's the characters : I really liked Kerrigan who have fought the prejudice of being half-fae all her life and is stubborn and resilient.
Her slow-burn relationship with Fordham brings rythm and fun banter to the story.
The only thing missing in this House of Dragons are dragons. There are not enough dragons so far but maybe we'll see more in the next book ?
The world building is good, the author takes time to explain this fae world, the geography, the politics, the magic. I liked it.
Then, there's the characters : I really liked Kerrigan who have fought the prejudice of being half-fae all her life and is stubborn and resilient.
Her slow-burn relationship with Fordham brings rythm and fun banter to the story.
The only thing missing in this House of Dragons are dragons. There are not enough dragons so far but maybe we'll see more in the next book ?
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews