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Dragon Blind: The Lightbearer Series
Princess Asha has always defied the brutal expectations of her warrior empire. When a life-altering injury shatters her vision and her future in the Ujuima military—she’s cast into the dragon pits.
In a kingdom where dragons are nearly extinct and their eggs are myth, Asha, now a blind dragonkeeper, inherits three. Although a pawn in their political games, her lack of sight sharpens her other senses, allowing her to perceive truths no one else can. But when the eggs’ existence makes her a target, she’s forced into an arranged marriage to secure her family’s power.
Enter Adriel, a morally gray prince from a rival kingdom, who offers her an alliance instead of a wedding ring. He wants the eggs for his own reasons, but neither expects the electric pull between them—or the dragon, Drakkar, who whispers to Asha of a hidden dragon colony in the northern mountains.
As their journey unravels the eggs’ secrets, Asha faces an impossible reclaim her birthright as a royal pawn or ignite a revolution to restore dragonkind’s freedom. But in an empire where trust is lethal and blind girls are meant to be silent, survival will demand she rewrite the rules with fire.
Once cast out into the belly of dragons, she will take her power back and burn the empire to the ground.
In a kingdom where dragons are nearly extinct and their eggs are myth, Asha, now a blind dragonkeeper, inherits three. Although a pawn in their political games, her lack of sight sharpens her other senses, allowing her to perceive truths no one else can. But when the eggs’ existence makes her a target, she’s forced into an arranged marriage to secure her family’s power.
Enter Adriel, a morally gray prince from a rival kingdom, who offers her an alliance instead of a wedding ring. He wants the eggs for his own reasons, but neither expects the electric pull between them—or the dragon, Drakkar, who whispers to Asha of a hidden dragon colony in the northern mountains.
As their journey unravels the eggs’ secrets, Asha faces an impossible reclaim her birthright as a royal pawn or ignite a revolution to restore dragonkind’s freedom. But in an empire where trust is lethal and blind girls are meant to be silent, survival will demand she rewrite the rules with fire.
Once cast out into the belly of dragons, she will take her power back and burn the empire to the ground.
429 pages, Paperback
Published November 17, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
January 26, 2026
Black fantasy with dragons. Fmc is blind which is different from my normal fantasy reads. I enjoyed the plot and characters. Little details bugged me. I kept tryna figure out how big this dragon was lol. He knocking on doors and walking in tents so even tho this isn’t a big deal to some, my imagination was just struggling a lil. Otherwise I enjoyed. I believe this is the author’s debut. Ends on a cliffhanger.
July 10, 2026
A blind princess, a kingdom that underestimates her, and a plot that refuses to let go
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dragon Blind surprised me in the best way. This is the story of Asha , a blind princess in a kingdom where blindness is treated as weakness, uselessness, and something to be hidden. Even as royalty, she’s cast aside and sent to live in the dragon pits… which honestly becomes her sanctuary. Asha has a gift: she can sense the aura and emotions of animals, and the dragons love her for it. Those chapters were some of my favorites ... tender, vivid, and full of quiet power.
But this is fantasy, so of course politics come knocking. Power struggles between the Five Kingdoms push Asha toward an arranged marriage she doesn’t want, and that’s where Adriel enters the picture. Their dynamic is messy in a way that feels intentional ... yes, he kidnaps her, yes, she drugs him (multiple times), yes, he tries to sell her off. They are chaotic, distrustful, and constantly at odds… and yet their back‑and‑forth is addictive. I wouldn’t call this a romance (some tension and one spicy scene at 98), and that’s actually what I loved. The plot carries this book the tension between kingdoms, the danger, the dragons, the constant sense that something bigger is moving beneath the surface.
Asha’s growth is the heart of the story. Watching her step into her strength, claim her identity, and become the badass she always had the potential to be? That’s what kept me turning pages. By the end, I felt like I could be sitting next to Asha and Celeria planning our next move.
My one critique: this is marketed as Black fantasy, but outside of the cover and a few mentions of brown skin, I didn’t feel much Black cultural influence in the worldbuilding. I wanted more ...more texture, more cultural grounding, more of that richness that makes Black fantasy feel like home. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment, but it’s something I hope the series leans into more.
This book does end on HFN, and I’m not even mad because book two drops in June and I will absolutely be reading it. The suspense, the dragons, the political intrigue, the character growth all of it worked for me.
If you love:
- disabled heroines who grow into their power
- political fantasy with teeth
- slow‑burn tension that isn’t quite romance
- dragons with personality
- messy alliances and shifting loyalties
…this one is worth picking up.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dragon Blind surprised me in the best way. This is the story of Asha , a blind princess in a kingdom where blindness is treated as weakness, uselessness, and something to be hidden. Even as royalty, she’s cast aside and sent to live in the dragon pits… which honestly becomes her sanctuary. Asha has a gift: she can sense the aura and emotions of animals, and the dragons love her for it. Those chapters were some of my favorites ... tender, vivid, and full of quiet power.
But this is fantasy, so of course politics come knocking. Power struggles between the Five Kingdoms push Asha toward an arranged marriage she doesn’t want, and that’s where Adriel enters the picture. Their dynamic is messy in a way that feels intentional ... yes, he kidnaps her, yes, she drugs him (multiple times), yes, he tries to sell her off. They are chaotic, distrustful, and constantly at odds… and yet their back‑and‑forth is addictive. I wouldn’t call this a romance (some tension and one spicy scene at 98), and that’s actually what I loved. The plot carries this book the tension between kingdoms, the danger, the dragons, the constant sense that something bigger is moving beneath the surface.
Asha’s growth is the heart of the story. Watching her step into her strength, claim her identity, and become the badass she always had the potential to be? That’s what kept me turning pages. By the end, I felt like I could be sitting next to Asha and Celeria planning our next move.
My one critique: this is marketed as Black fantasy, but outside of the cover and a few mentions of brown skin, I didn’t feel much Black cultural influence in the worldbuilding. I wanted more ...more texture, more cultural grounding, more of that richness that makes Black fantasy feel like home. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment, but it’s something I hope the series leans into more.
This book does end on HFN, and I’m not even mad because book two drops in June and I will absolutely be reading it. The suspense, the dragons, the political intrigue, the character growth all of it worked for me.
If you love:
- disabled heroines who grow into their power
- political fantasy with teeth
- slow‑burn tension that isn’t quite romance
- dragons with personality
- messy alliances and shifting loyalties
…this one is worth picking up.
January 14, 2026
This book had me on the edge of my seat! There’s dragons, beautiful locations, and such care in writing a character who cannot see.
I really love how Asha is written along with her relationship with Drakkar!
I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. It’s character driven and just what I needed for my dragon fix!
If you too were disappointed by how Daenerys’ story ended in GoT… this book will put you back together. I cannot wait for Book 2!!!
I really love how Asha is written along with her relationship with Drakkar!
I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. It’s character driven and just what I needed for my dragon fix!
If you too were disappointed by how Daenerys’ story ended in GoT… this book will put you back together. I cannot wait for Book 2!!!
June 24, 2026
I’m going to be very honest here. I was quite disappointed with this book. I had rather high hopes for it, but it fell flat on its face. Please don’t get offended if you truly enjoyed this book. This review is my own opinion and feelings toward this book.
I admit the cover of the book was amazing! I don’t care what people say—a good cover design is also a selling point and attraction for a book.
The reason I wanted to read this book is because the FMC is a POC, blind, and there are DRAGONS!!!
I thought this book was a jackpot story, because you rarely see POC (at least from my end) have connections to dragons unless they are Asian. So this was a refreshing take.
****** SPOILERS AHEAD *******
I admit I was very hooked from the start. I was intrigued by this world-building where dragons are real and powerful. I was invested in Asha’s predicament. I felt like she was in such a vulnerable state for someone who is blind and is banished to work in the dragon pit. So she is basically disappeared from the royal family for many years. Hardly anyone remembers her.
The story quickly reveals that she is a shunned princess in a kingdom where being vulnerable means a death sentence, almost like the Spartans (in the movie, not actual historical fact). Even more disturbing is how her mother walked into dragon fire. We also find out the king is a horrible human being, and her eldest brother is a clone of his father, while her second brother is the only one who shows some compassion for her, but he is also the reason for her blindness. So basically, the royal family is a mess.
Although Asha is blind, I do like that her other senses are heightened and she is able to read auras of both dragons and humans. I think that is an advantage, but to Asha it seems like it’s a “normal” thing, not a special ability. Another reason why Asha is shunned is because her father hated female heirs. He wanted sons to rule his empire. Mind you, this dude has two sons already and still thinks one daughter is a pest and a threat to his empire… dude is delusional!! How many sons do you need, man? Also, why do you treat your wife so badly? She gave you two sons, and she is the winner of the fire trial and married the sorry arse king. How devastating to know your winning prize turned out to be such a turd.
We find out that the Ujuima kingdom is the most powerful kingdom and the only one that has dragons. They use them to their benefit in gaining power and political advantage. They also have access to dracite, which weakens dragons and is used by the Ujuima military to “tame” and “control” them. The Ujuima kingdom also values battlemages, which means if you don’t have one or have a weaker version of it, you are essentially doomed.
So Asha has an aptitude for communicating with and calming dragons using her aura-reading ability. This is a major advantage in a kingdom that deals with dragons, but for some reason she is still shunned. Why?! I don’t even know. Not to mention, she also has a childhood best friend, Ekon, who is madly in love with her, although it is one-sided. He feels like he has a right to ask for her hand in marriage, never mind that she does not feel the same…...creepy much.
To be honest, every man in this book was downright creepy and disturbing.
I don’t want to go through the whole story, but I will highlight what I thought was weird.
The Ujuima kingdom hosts a fire festival where every kingdom sends their best candidate to go through trials and battle each other, and the winner gets to marry into the royal family...YES, that messed-up royal family. So this year, Elan (the oldest brother) and the king father decide, seemingly at random, to use Asha as the winning trophy. The very “mysteriously missing” princess who has been treated like a slave is now being offered as a prize to another kingdom? HUH?
Who the heck would want a “damaged goods” princess, especially when she has been missing for so long and has visible bruises on her body? A princess who is clearly blind? Why would a prince from another kingdom fight to the death for a princess who clearly holds no value to her own royal family?
Okay, okay, here is another thing I don’t get! Asha is banished from the royal palace and forced to live in the dragon pits since she was 8 years old, right? They did not care if she got assaulted, starved, or killed for many years. Elan and basically everyone bully and torture her, right? Then suddenly, out of the blue, they want to offer a “damaged” princess who is supposed to uphold their reputation? Did I mention that their queen committed a sucide? What the heck??? Did they think nobody heard of that big news ?
Then, when the day comes for her to present herself at the royal ball, she is demanded to dress in inappropriate and revealing clothing by her brother… ewwww, creepy. Then Elan takes away her staff (walking stick) so that people won’t figure out she is blind, and then get this! he deliberately trips her down the stairs in front of ALL the guests. Why, for what purpose?! This is no small fall, mind you!!! Asha falls flat on her face and is hurt to the point where blood is leaking from her mouth!! HOW IS THIS EVEN LOGICAL?!
You just humiliated your own sister, a princess, in front of everyone. Not to mention, he left her on her own to navigate through a crowded floor where dancing couples keep running into her. If you can’t figure out she is blind… perhaps the people attending the ball are equally blind. What is the purpose of doing this again ?! What was Elan trying to proof? That he can bully a disable person and a Sir Jr.Turd like his father?
What is all this action supposed to accomplish? If I were a prince from another kingdom, one look at how they treat their princess would give me the very strong impression that she is absolutely not worth the risk, and I would certainly not gamble my life for someone her own family clearly considers disposable. I’m not seeing the appeal of marrying her at all. Unless, of course, the plan is to impress people with sheer levels of unnecessary suffering for “emotional depth”… because nothing says strong world-building like maximum misery turned up to eleven just for reader sympathy.
Then comes our morally grey hero, Adriel, who shows up to ask for the princess’s hand in marriage on behalf of his king brother. He also has a second little side quest: casually hunting for dragon eggs, which are apparently almost nonexistent because the dracite used to control dragons has caused infertility and the loss of their ability to fly. Say what now? Huh!!
One thing I immediately started to dislike is how the author keeps leaning into the classic “damsel in distress” routine on repeat, and the equally subtle habit of having every “male” human or dragon conveniently announce “You’re MINE” like it’s some grand romantic declaration instead of something that belongs in a restraining order. Truly breathtaking romance writing.
And of course, Asha can’t read Adriel’s aura… because he’s mysterious like that. Naturally. Because nothing says depth like selectively switching off your main character ability whenever the plot needs extra tension
Asha, I understand, is vulnerable and blind, and I understand she is at a disadvantage when it comes to escaping, etc. But oh my god, the amount of times she is saved by men is starting to get annoying. Always at the nick of time, she is rescued by a prince or someone else. Like come on—the only time I actually felt like she managed to do anything without help was when she reached the dragon’s realm through that weird temptation trick.
This book is insta-love, no sugarcoating it. I’m not convinced I actually liked their speedy love connection. Adriel is constantly lying to her face, and Asha is always trying to drug or poison him… so where exactly and how did this love blossom? I can’t believe Asha would continuously forgive Adriel for his lies and secrets.
After a while, the dragons and eggs become secondary to the story. Elan keeps sending assassins to get rid of Asha, and Adriel’s brother is just a creep. Then when Drakkar (the dragon) appears, only then are we reminded about the whole “he came for his eggs” plotline.
I saw many other reviews mention Asha’s reaction to someone asking to cure her blindness. I kind of get it—her blindness gives her an edge and the ability to communicate with dragons. It’s also linked to the rare Lightbearer ability. I don’t see that as a bad thing.
I also felt like the cover design did not really match the character descriptions. I was confused by the ambiguity. If it weren’t for the African-sounding names, I honestly wouldn’t have guessed these were Black-inspired characters. I’m not sure if Asha has deep blue hair or if her hair is so black it shines like deep blue. Also, did her mother also have blue hair? Throughout the book, I just had a very vague image of what Asha or Adriel looks like.
Also, of course Asha has to be a petite person. For someone from a generation that values power and strength, she is described as small and trembling… okay, okay, probably because she was left with very little food in the dragon pits. But she sure doesn’t have a scurvy-looking body when she is forced to attend the ball in revealing clothes.
Then suddenly there’s a prophecy, and some rare Lightbearer legend, because of course there is. Asha is now the chosen one who can bring peace and save everything, etc. At this point, I was already bored out of my mind. The dragons didn’t sound very impressive—apparently for such powerful creatures they spend a lot of time hiding in the background. Also, Asha, please don’t bring any more traitorous humans into the already weakened dragon realm. Humans cannot be trusted… clearly. And the dragons somehow sound more and more human with every scene… eww.
I felt like almost every man in the book was acting out of self-interest, and I don’t think any of them had even remotely pure motives that didn’t involve exploiting someone at some point. I also couldn’t understand the odd seduction elements sprinkled throughout the story, seemingly inserted to manufacture empathy, tension, and instant emotional investment in the couple.
I did enjoy the book, but it definitely lost steam along the way. I suddenly found myself not caring about any of the characters. I was just glad I finished it and could move on. I know many people enjoyed this book—maybe I’m just not the target audience… or maybe I missed the part where I was supposed to be emotionally attached to chaos, betrayal, and “you’re mine” energy as a personality trait.
I admit the cover of the book was amazing! I don’t care what people say—a good cover design is also a selling point and attraction for a book.
The reason I wanted to read this book is because the FMC is a POC, blind, and there are DRAGONS!!!
I thought this book was a jackpot story, because you rarely see POC (at least from my end) have connections to dragons unless they are Asian. So this was a refreshing take.
****** SPOILERS AHEAD *******
I admit I was very hooked from the start. I was intrigued by this world-building where dragons are real and powerful. I was invested in Asha’s predicament. I felt like she was in such a vulnerable state for someone who is blind and is banished to work in the dragon pit. So she is basically disappeared from the royal family for many years. Hardly anyone remembers her.
The story quickly reveals that she is a shunned princess in a kingdom where being vulnerable means a death sentence, almost like the Spartans (in the movie, not actual historical fact). Even more disturbing is how her mother walked into dragon fire. We also find out the king is a horrible human being, and her eldest brother is a clone of his father, while her second brother is the only one who shows some compassion for her, but he is also the reason for her blindness. So basically, the royal family is a mess.
Although Asha is blind, I do like that her other senses are heightened and she is able to read auras of both dragons and humans. I think that is an advantage, but to Asha it seems like it’s a “normal” thing, not a special ability. Another reason why Asha is shunned is because her father hated female heirs. He wanted sons to rule his empire. Mind you, this dude has two sons already and still thinks one daughter is a pest and a threat to his empire… dude is delusional!! How many sons do you need, man? Also, why do you treat your wife so badly? She gave you two sons, and she is the winner of the fire trial and married the sorry arse king. How devastating to know your winning prize turned out to be such a turd.
We find out that the Ujuima kingdom is the most powerful kingdom and the only one that has dragons. They use them to their benefit in gaining power and political advantage. They also have access to dracite, which weakens dragons and is used by the Ujuima military to “tame” and “control” them. The Ujuima kingdom also values battlemages, which means if you don’t have one or have a weaker version of it, you are essentially doomed.
So Asha has an aptitude for communicating with and calming dragons using her aura-reading ability. This is a major advantage in a kingdom that deals with dragons, but for some reason she is still shunned. Why?! I don’t even know. Not to mention, she also has a childhood best friend, Ekon, who is madly in love with her, although it is one-sided. He feels like he has a right to ask for her hand in marriage, never mind that she does not feel the same…...creepy much.
To be honest, every man in this book was downright creepy and disturbing.
I don’t want to go through the whole story, but I will highlight what I thought was weird.
The Ujuima kingdom hosts a fire festival where every kingdom sends their best candidate to go through trials and battle each other, and the winner gets to marry into the royal family...YES, that messed-up royal family. So this year, Elan (the oldest brother) and the king father decide, seemingly at random, to use Asha as the winning trophy. The very “mysteriously missing” princess who has been treated like a slave is now being offered as a prize to another kingdom? HUH?
Who the heck would want a “damaged goods” princess, especially when she has been missing for so long and has visible bruises on her body? A princess who is clearly blind? Why would a prince from another kingdom fight to the death for a princess who clearly holds no value to her own royal family?
Okay, okay, here is another thing I don’t get! Asha is banished from the royal palace and forced to live in the dragon pits since she was 8 years old, right? They did not care if she got assaulted, starved, or killed for many years. Elan and basically everyone bully and torture her, right? Then suddenly, out of the blue, they want to offer a “damaged” princess who is supposed to uphold their reputation? Did I mention that their queen committed a sucide? What the heck??? Did they think nobody heard of that big news ?
Then, when the day comes for her to present herself at the royal ball, she is demanded to dress in inappropriate and revealing clothing by her brother… ewwww, creepy. Then Elan takes away her staff (walking stick) so that people won’t figure out she is blind, and then get this! he deliberately trips her down the stairs in front of ALL the guests. Why, for what purpose?! This is no small fall, mind you!!! Asha falls flat on her face and is hurt to the point where blood is leaking from her mouth!! HOW IS THIS EVEN LOGICAL?!
You just humiliated your own sister, a princess, in front of everyone. Not to mention, he left her on her own to navigate through a crowded floor where dancing couples keep running into her. If you can’t figure out she is blind… perhaps the people attending the ball are equally blind. What is the purpose of doing this again ?! What was Elan trying to proof? That he can bully a disable person and a Sir Jr.Turd like his father?
What is all this action supposed to accomplish? If I were a prince from another kingdom, one look at how they treat their princess would give me the very strong impression that she is absolutely not worth the risk, and I would certainly not gamble my life for someone her own family clearly considers disposable. I’m not seeing the appeal of marrying her at all. Unless, of course, the plan is to impress people with sheer levels of unnecessary suffering for “emotional depth”… because nothing says strong world-building like maximum misery turned up to eleven just for reader sympathy.
Then comes our morally grey hero, Adriel, who shows up to ask for the princess’s hand in marriage on behalf of his king brother. He also has a second little side quest: casually hunting for dragon eggs, which are apparently almost nonexistent because the dracite used to control dragons has caused infertility and the loss of their ability to fly. Say what now? Huh!!
One thing I immediately started to dislike is how the author keeps leaning into the classic “damsel in distress” routine on repeat, and the equally subtle habit of having every “male” human or dragon conveniently announce “You’re MINE” like it’s some grand romantic declaration instead of something that belongs in a restraining order. Truly breathtaking romance writing.
And of course, Asha can’t read Adriel’s aura… because he’s mysterious like that. Naturally. Because nothing says depth like selectively switching off your main character ability whenever the plot needs extra tension
Asha, I understand, is vulnerable and blind, and I understand she is at a disadvantage when it comes to escaping, etc. But oh my god, the amount of times she is saved by men is starting to get annoying. Always at the nick of time, she is rescued by a prince or someone else. Like come on—the only time I actually felt like she managed to do anything without help was when she reached the dragon’s realm through that weird temptation trick.
This book is insta-love, no sugarcoating it. I’m not convinced I actually liked their speedy love connection. Adriel is constantly lying to her face, and Asha is always trying to drug or poison him… so where exactly and how did this love blossom? I can’t believe Asha would continuously forgive Adriel for his lies and secrets.
After a while, the dragons and eggs become secondary to the story. Elan keeps sending assassins to get rid of Asha, and Adriel’s brother is just a creep. Then when Drakkar (the dragon) appears, only then are we reminded about the whole “he came for his eggs” plotline.
I saw many other reviews mention Asha’s reaction to someone asking to cure her blindness. I kind of get it—her blindness gives her an edge and the ability to communicate with dragons. It’s also linked to the rare Lightbearer ability. I don’t see that as a bad thing.
I also felt like the cover design did not really match the character descriptions. I was confused by the ambiguity. If it weren’t for the African-sounding names, I honestly wouldn’t have guessed these were Black-inspired characters. I’m not sure if Asha has deep blue hair or if her hair is so black it shines like deep blue. Also, did her mother also have blue hair? Throughout the book, I just had a very vague image of what Asha or Adriel looks like.
Also, of course Asha has to be a petite person. For someone from a generation that values power and strength, she is described as small and trembling… okay, okay, probably because she was left with very little food in the dragon pits. But she sure doesn’t have a scurvy-looking body when she is forced to attend the ball in revealing clothes.
Then suddenly there’s a prophecy, and some rare Lightbearer legend, because of course there is. Asha is now the chosen one who can bring peace and save everything, etc. At this point, I was already bored out of my mind. The dragons didn’t sound very impressive—apparently for such powerful creatures they spend a lot of time hiding in the background. Also, Asha, please don’t bring any more traitorous humans into the already weakened dragon realm. Humans cannot be trusted… clearly. And the dragons somehow sound more and more human with every scene… eww.
I felt like almost every man in the book was acting out of self-interest, and I don’t think any of them had even remotely pure motives that didn’t involve exploiting someone at some point. I also couldn’t understand the odd seduction elements sprinkled throughout the story, seemingly inserted to manufacture empathy, tension, and instant emotional investment in the couple.
I did enjoy the book, but it definitely lost steam along the way. I suddenly found myself not caring about any of the characters. I was just glad I finished it and could move on. I know many people enjoyed this book—maybe I’m just not the target audience… or maybe I missed the part where I was supposed to be emotionally attached to chaos, betrayal, and “you’re mine” energy as a personality trait.
June 14, 2026
A solid story I overall enjoyed. I like Asha, our FL. Her blindness and how she sees was very interesting. She has good chemistry with our ML, Adriel, even if you can't trust that boy as far are you can throw him.
I only caught 3 typos, so that's good. With the rough drafts I've read lately, I feel the need to celebrate only 3 typos.
I would love to rate this higher but something about the second half of the story started to feel different, after they flee with Drakkar. Like the writing didn't flow as smoothly as the first half. Maybe there were too many characters. FL, ML, his retinue, the dragon(s), Lightwardens or whatever they called themselves, the different representatives from various Kingdoms. It wasn't hard to track but it started to distract.
I only caught 3 typos, so that's good. With the rough drafts I've read lately, I feel the need to celebrate only 3 typos.
I would love to rate this higher but something about the second half of the story started to feel different, after they flee with Drakkar. Like the writing didn't flow as smoothly as the first half. Maybe there were too many characters. FL, ML, his retinue, the dragon(s), Lightwardens or whatever they called themselves, the different representatives from various Kingdoms. It wasn't hard to track but it started to distract.
June 3, 2026
2.5 🌟. This book was a regular ass, mediocre romantasy. There is NOTHING about this book that suggests a black FMC: the word choice, the characters, the plot, nor the dialogue. Nothing. If it wasn’t a black woman on it (or any POC), I would have read it and scored it higher. They literally slapped a black character on it and said here is your diversity.
March 10, 2026
“…I’d rather put my fate in the claws of dragons than in the hands of men.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🧐What to know:🧐
1️⃣ First in series, Book 2 (as of the time of this review) is listed as forthcoming July 2026
✅What’s included:✅
👩🏾❤️👨🏽Dual POV
🔥Slow burn
🐲 Dragons with strong opinions
👩🏾❤️💋👩🏾 LGBTQ side characters
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Found family
👩🏾🦯Representation for sight impaired people
🧏🏾♂️ Representation for hearing impaired people
🟤⚫️ Primarily unambiguously Black and Brown characters
🪄 Battle Magic and Magic in general
❤️🩹 Healing from trauma; physical and emotional
❌What’s not included:❌
🚫 Gore
❗️Triggers:❗️
💢Physical and psychological abuse (familial)
💢 Bullying (Mostly familial)
💢 Abuse of disabled person
💢 Misogyny
💢 Threat of SA (never depicted or described, only mentioned)
💢 Kidnapping attempt with the intent of human trafficking
💢 Depiction of grief and guilt born from trauma
💢 Death of parents
💢Abuse of authority
📄 ✍🏽 The Plot 📄 ✍🏽
Asha is a Princess who is blind, but she wasn’t born that way. An incident when she was around 8 years old caused her blindness. She lives in a kingdom that values strength, and citizens are only welcome to live there by the merit of having battle magic and strength. This kingdom Is also the most powerful, and holds the monopoly on weaponizing dragons. The rules of her kingdom, upheld by her father dictated she had to be exiled because of her “weakness”, but she was instead sent to the Dragon pits, where she unexpectedly excelled as a pit master who tames dragons and prepares them for battle because of her empathy and ability to see auras.
After learning she’s betrothed to a monarch of another kingdom, and watching a newly captured dragon die, she makes plans to escape her kingdom. The plot twist occurs immediately here, and the action, political intrigue, and adventure picks up.
💭My thoughts: 💭
I went into this book with nothing more than curiosity about the plot, and I left being blown away. This was such a refreshing, fun, and emotional read!
I was sat from page one. The dry humor and wit drew me in, the plot unfolded so beautifully, and the pacing was so well done that I couldn’t put it down.
The story was definitely Daenarys’ revenge 🤣🤣🤣 And was very GoT/HotD coded minus the cringy incest, plodding plot, and villainization of a powerful woman.
I loved how Asha was both brave and soft, and how her softness and empathy was revealed to be a strength, not a weakness. As much as I enjoy seeing strong women, I often tire of the “Badass FMC” archetype; women don’t need to embody or portray strength as defined/performed by the patriarchal lens to be strong. I loved her courage, her convictions, her loyalty, and the empathy she held on to despite how the world continually tried to beat it out of her with treachery and cruelty.
Her blindness lead her to be resourceful, not weakened. Make no mistake; she is soft, but that does not mean helpless or weak, and she’s still sassy and witty with an optimistic outlook and a kind heart. Compassion is at the forefront of Asha’s story, and I absolutely loved that.
There was also a gradual feminine rage revealed in Asha, which was also portrayed so elegantly that I loved her even more.
All of the characters had a depth and complexity as the story continues that really draws you in and makes you invested in their redemption or ruination, but the loyalty of Kaliyah to upholding Asha’s autonomy really moved me. That’s the way it should be; the elder women ensuring the chance for freedom for the next generation of women.
The world was incredibly well built, the storytelling was immersive, the plot plotted most plottedly, the pacing was wonderful, and the action was palpable. There are moments of whimsy and wonder and magic in the world, and I loved that even without sight, the author included ways to have Asha interact with the magic and beauty of the world.
I cannot wait for book 2 to see what comes next of Asha and the 5 kingdoms.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🧐What to know:🧐
1️⃣ First in series, Book 2 (as of the time of this review) is listed as forthcoming July 2026
✅What’s included:✅
👩🏾❤️👨🏽Dual POV
🔥Slow burn
🐲 Dragons with strong opinions
👩🏾❤️💋👩🏾 LGBTQ side characters
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Found family
👩🏾🦯Representation for sight impaired people
🧏🏾♂️ Representation for hearing impaired people
🟤⚫️ Primarily unambiguously Black and Brown characters
🪄 Battle Magic and Magic in general
❤️🩹 Healing from trauma; physical and emotional
❌What’s not included:❌
🚫 Gore
❗️Triggers:❗️
💢Physical and psychological abuse (familial)
💢 Bullying (Mostly familial)
💢 Abuse of disabled person
💢 Misogyny
💢 Threat of SA (never depicted or described, only mentioned)
💢 Kidnapping attempt with the intent of human trafficking
💢 Depiction of grief and guilt born from trauma
💢 Death of parents
💢Abuse of authority
📄 ✍🏽 The Plot 📄 ✍🏽
Asha is a Princess who is blind, but she wasn’t born that way. An incident when she was around 8 years old caused her blindness. She lives in a kingdom that values strength, and citizens are only welcome to live there by the merit of having battle magic and strength. This kingdom Is also the most powerful, and holds the monopoly on weaponizing dragons. The rules of her kingdom, upheld by her father dictated she had to be exiled because of her “weakness”, but she was instead sent to the Dragon pits, where she unexpectedly excelled as a pit master who tames dragons and prepares them for battle because of her empathy and ability to see auras.
After learning she’s betrothed to a monarch of another kingdom, and watching a newly captured dragon die, she makes plans to escape her kingdom. The plot twist occurs immediately here, and the action, political intrigue, and adventure picks up.
💭My thoughts: 💭
I went into this book with nothing more than curiosity about the plot, and I left being blown away. This was such a refreshing, fun, and emotional read!
I was sat from page one. The dry humor and wit drew me in, the plot unfolded so beautifully, and the pacing was so well done that I couldn’t put it down.
The story was definitely Daenarys’ revenge 🤣🤣🤣 And was very GoT/HotD coded minus the cringy incest, plodding plot, and villainization of a powerful woman.
I loved how Asha was both brave and soft, and how her softness and empathy was revealed to be a strength, not a weakness. As much as I enjoy seeing strong women, I often tire of the “Badass FMC” archetype; women don’t need to embody or portray strength as defined/performed by the patriarchal lens to be strong. I loved her courage, her convictions, her loyalty, and the empathy she held on to despite how the world continually tried to beat it out of her with treachery and cruelty.
Her blindness lead her to be resourceful, not weakened. Make no mistake; she is soft, but that does not mean helpless or weak, and she’s still sassy and witty with an optimistic outlook and a kind heart. Compassion is at the forefront of Asha’s story, and I absolutely loved that.
There was also a gradual feminine rage revealed in Asha, which was also portrayed so elegantly that I loved her even more.
All of the characters had a depth and complexity as the story continues that really draws you in and makes you invested in their redemption or ruination, but the loyalty of Kaliyah to upholding Asha’s autonomy really moved me. That’s the way it should be; the elder women ensuring the chance for freedom for the next generation of women.
The world was incredibly well built, the storytelling was immersive, the plot plotted most plottedly, the pacing was wonderful, and the action was palpable. There are moments of whimsy and wonder and magic in the world, and I loved that even without sight, the author included ways to have Asha interact with the magic and beauty of the world.
I cannot wait for book 2 to see what comes next of Asha and the 5 kingdoms.
May 31, 2026
I was very excited by the premise of a blind princess fmc. The story held my interest in the first half. The world building needs a little bit of work for me. I started losing interest in the last half. The romance was very quick as well. This does read a little more YA than I would like.
May 20, 2026
Dragon Blind by Iman Christians completely took me through my feelings from beginning to end. This story was emotional, powerful, immersive, and so beautifully written that I found myself completely wrapped up in Asha’s journey.
Asha is the kind of main character you can’t help but root for. Watching her navigate loss, betrayal, pain, and ultimately her own power after losing her sight was heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. The way her blindness was written felt meaningful and layered, and instead of weakening her character, it sharpened everything about her strength, instincts, and resilience.
And Adriel??? That morally gray tension was DONE RIGHT. The chemistry between them had me hooked, and I loved that their relationship unfolded alongside all the political intrigue, danger, and dragon lore. Speaking of dragons.....Drakkar absolutely stole scenes every time he appeared.
What really stood out to me, though, was the writing itself. This book knew exactly how to hit emotionally. There were moments that made me ache for these characters, moments that made me angry, hopeful, stressed, and completely invested in what would happen next. The world-building, the pacing, the emotional depth....it all came together so well.
This wasn’t just a fantasy with dragons and romance. It was a story about reclaiming power, being underestimated, surviving cruelty, and choosing who you want to become after the world tries to break you.
Asha is the kind of main character you can’t help but root for. Watching her navigate loss, betrayal, pain, and ultimately her own power after losing her sight was heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. The way her blindness was written felt meaningful and layered, and instead of weakening her character, it sharpened everything about her strength, instincts, and resilience.
And Adriel??? That morally gray tension was DONE RIGHT. The chemistry between them had me hooked, and I loved that their relationship unfolded alongside all the political intrigue, danger, and dragon lore. Speaking of dragons.....Drakkar absolutely stole scenes every time he appeared.
What really stood out to me, though, was the writing itself. This book knew exactly how to hit emotionally. There were moments that made me ache for these characters, moments that made me angry, hopeful, stressed, and completely invested in what would happen next. The world-building, the pacing, the emotional depth....it all came together so well.
This wasn’t just a fantasy with dragons and romance. It was a story about reclaiming power, being underestimated, surviving cruelty, and choosing who you want to become after the world tries to break you.
May 5, 2026
I am rating this book a true 3.75 ⭐️ for a few reasons.
To start with the things I enjoyed about this book:
I love the uniqueness of the storyline. The plot felt new and fresh in a fantasy romance genre that can tend to feel very "been there, done that". I loved the FMC and the fact she is blind, and how that was always her strength and never a weakness. I love the dragon aspect of the book, so original and very well done. I loved the storyline and how poor Asha has had to go from one fight to another her entire life and has the resilience to continue to fight for herself. I love that aspect so much! I thoroughly enjoyed Adriel's character as well; flawed, complex, but as sturdy and perfect as any MMC should be!
What didn't quite do it for me:
Overall, the book is so very well written and paints beautiful scenes, however, there are times in the book where things shift or happen that aren't very descriptive and left me confused as to how we got from one place to another. There are also parts of the book that could have been a bit more detailed to give the reader better understanding of certain aspects or background knowledge.
Overall, it was such an interesting, engaging read and I highly recommend this book to all romance fantasy romantasy readers.
To start with the things I enjoyed about this book:
I love the uniqueness of the storyline. The plot felt new and fresh in a fantasy romance genre that can tend to feel very "been there, done that". I loved the FMC and the fact she is blind, and how that was always her strength and never a weakness. I love the dragon aspect of the book, so original and very well done. I loved the storyline and how poor Asha has had to go from one fight to another her entire life and has the resilience to continue to fight for herself. I love that aspect so much! I thoroughly enjoyed Adriel's character as well; flawed, complex, but as sturdy and perfect as any MMC should be!
What didn't quite do it for me:
Overall, the book is so very well written and paints beautiful scenes, however, there are times in the book where things shift or happen that aren't very descriptive and left me confused as to how we got from one place to another. There are also parts of the book that could have been a bit more detailed to give the reader better understanding of certain aspects or background knowledge.
Overall, it was such an interesting, engaging read and I highly recommend this book to all romance fantasy romantasy readers.
May 2, 2026
I’m obsessed! I need the next book now!
I have never read a fantasy like this one & I loved it. The FMCc is blind, yet nothing stands in her way of her fighting for the life she wants instead of the one she is being forced into. I enjoyed the introduction of the dragons and I’m excited to see this plays out in the next book.
I have never read a fantasy like this one & I loved it. The FMCc is blind, yet nothing stands in her way of her fighting for the life she wants instead of the one she is being forced into. I enjoyed the introduction of the dragons and I’m excited to see this plays out in the next book.
June 20, 2026
Wow. Now THIS is how you do a retelling. Danaerys Targaryen doesn’t have anything on Asha Osei! I need book 2 ASAP because I will surely be gobbling it up! lol
Asha (the FMC) was the sheltered and battered motherless daughter surrounded by a family full of cruel and disappointing men. She was young (18) and naive, but she was also sincere, compassionate, and reaaalllyyyyyy good at adapting.
And Adriel (the MMC) immediately gravitated to Asha — as a genuine knight in shining armor would any damsel. A brave warrior with leadership qualities… but he also has flaws of his own that make you feel all the feels on this reading journey, ha!
The way their story unfolds amongst a plot with lots of twists and turns and excellent world building truly made this romantasy book an enjoyable read. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a romantasy with dragons, kingdoms, soldiers, and a woman doing whatever is necessary to maintain her autonomy.
Asha (the FMC) was the sheltered and battered motherless daughter surrounded by a family full of cruel and disappointing men. She was young (18) and naive, but she was also sincere, compassionate, and reaaalllyyyyyy good at adapting.
And Adriel (the MMC) immediately gravitated to Asha — as a genuine knight in shining armor would any damsel. A brave warrior with leadership qualities… but he also has flaws of his own that make you feel all the feels on this reading journey, ha!
The way their story unfolds amongst a plot with lots of twists and turns and excellent world building truly made this romantasy book an enjoyable read. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a romantasy with dragons, kingdoms, soldiers, and a woman doing whatever is necessary to maintain her autonomy.
June 19, 2026
4.5⭐️
Overall, I really loved this book, the story of the princess finding her blindness to be powerful instead of powerless, and some of the magical elements. One of my favorite scenes was when Asha was in the garden, truly magical.
Downside, I did not love the last few chapters and the battle scene. Felt like it was a bit rushed and could have been expanded upon.
I don’t always think books can be longer, but I would have loved more world building and development of other characters. This story was so good, I just want more and cannot wait for book 2.
Overall, I really loved this book, the story of the princess finding her blindness to be powerful instead of powerless, and some of the magical elements. One of my favorite scenes was when Asha was in the garden, truly magical.
Downside, I did not love the last few chapters and the battle scene. Felt like it was a bit rushed and could have been expanded upon.
I don’t always think books can be longer, but I would have loved more world building and development of other characters. This story was so good, I just want more and cannot wait for book 2.
June 4, 2026
This was a hard finish. She’s blind and is given multiple opportunities to restore her sight and says no because she doesn’t want a man to help her or control how she restores her sight? I was influenced to read it by TikTok and I really wanted to like it but the miscommunication trope and the stubborn fmc just made me frustrated 🤷🏼♀️
May 17, 2026
Asha is a blind princess who can see auras which I think is pretty cool. Very different from the FMCs that I am used to seeing in fantasy books.
What got me to keep reading are the dragons. I wanted to learn more about them. I was hoping to see them get back their strength but I guess I have to wait for the next book.
I wished there was more world-building and more details with the magic system. And a little backstory with Asha’s mother.
All in all, it was a good story but poorly executed.
What got me to keep reading are the dragons. I wanted to learn more about them. I was hoping to see them get back their strength but I guess I have to wait for the next book.
I wished there was more world-building and more details with the magic system. And a little backstory with Asha’s mother.
All in all, it was a good story but poorly executed.
October 12, 2025
From the stunning cover picturing the gorgeous FMC, to the very last page detailing the ending you’ll never see coming, this book is a literal masterpiece. Perfect for all fantasy lovers who desire something new in both their dragon lore and their epic romances, you have to get your hands on this at the first opportunity!
Our fmc Princess Asha, is raised in a society where only strength and brute force are idolized, and those who are considered weak physically are shunned, exiled, or worse.
The representation of a blind FMC, is something I’ve never seen in a fantasy read before, but it lends credence to the belief that not all strength can be seen with your eyes.
Asha is cast into the dragon pit due to her blindness, but it is there she takes the first steps toward uncovering her own power, unraveling her self worth, and gaining responsibility for the safety of the first three dragon eggs the realm has seen in quite some time.
Asha will team up with Prince Adriel, an intriguing warrior chief from another kingdom with his fair share of secrets and hidden weaknesses, to try and get the eggs to safety and determine the fates of all five kingdoms. She also comes to develop a unique relationship with Drakkar, an opinionated and begrudgingly wise dragon who will help her access the secret home of the dragons, while believing in her with a faith so strong it withstands even the moments she fails to believe in herself.
The beginning of this fantasy series has secrets and betrayal, yearning and romance, and a healing balm for the spirit of everyone who has fallen victim to the belief that they are less than, or unworthy to contribute.
This story is heart wrenching and inspiring, but more than anything else, encourages readers to never fall into the trap that what society sees as your weakness must be your defining characteristic. You are so much more, and who knows? Like Asha, your supposed weakness may be the very thing that is needed to bring light to a darkening world.
Cannot wait for more from Iman, and I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to find out where she takes us next!
Our fmc Princess Asha, is raised in a society where only strength and brute force are idolized, and those who are considered weak physically are shunned, exiled, or worse.
The representation of a blind FMC, is something I’ve never seen in a fantasy read before, but it lends credence to the belief that not all strength can be seen with your eyes.
Asha is cast into the dragon pit due to her blindness, but it is there she takes the first steps toward uncovering her own power, unraveling her self worth, and gaining responsibility for the safety of the first three dragon eggs the realm has seen in quite some time.
Asha will team up with Prince Adriel, an intriguing warrior chief from another kingdom with his fair share of secrets and hidden weaknesses, to try and get the eggs to safety and determine the fates of all five kingdoms. She also comes to develop a unique relationship with Drakkar, an opinionated and begrudgingly wise dragon who will help her access the secret home of the dragons, while believing in her with a faith so strong it withstands even the moments she fails to believe in herself.
The beginning of this fantasy series has secrets and betrayal, yearning and romance, and a healing balm for the spirit of everyone who has fallen victim to the belief that they are less than, or unworthy to contribute.
This story is heart wrenching and inspiring, but more than anything else, encourages readers to never fall into the trap that what society sees as your weakness must be your defining characteristic. You are so much more, and who knows? Like Asha, your supposed weakness may be the very thing that is needed to bring light to a darkening world.
Cannot wait for more from Iman, and I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to find out where she takes us next!
May 13, 2026
While I enjoyed the book overall, the pacing was a bit off and I didn’t fully believe the main characters’ love story. I’ll probably read the next book to see what happens.
May 1, 2026
I've sat on this review for over a week, but not because the book wasn't good.
It blew my d*mn mind and I want my review to do it at least some justice. It won't, but I'm gonna do my best without getting into spoilers. Because... there is a lot of story and I want everyone to get the FULL experience.
This is my favorite book of 2026. I don't care that it's May 1. My. Favorite.
The characters have DEPTH. Like, real, true flaws. Growth. Characteristics that aren't great. Heck, even a proclivity for poison. I still love them. I probably love them more because of said flaws, and the bad guys? Hate, hate, hate, LOATHE entirely. The FMC is awesome. She's strong but vulnerable, blind but sees, is sheltered but has the WILDEST "job" etc etc into infinity. She's tied to being only one thing. She doesn't have just one purpose. If someone decided anything for her, she'd probably fight them on it anyway (wink wink, nudge nudge, and that's as close to a spoiler as I'll come).
The settings? VIVID. Different regions have different climates and biomes and governments and hierarchies and even their own ways of dealing with different situations. A crime here isn't there. One thing is looked down on here but not there. I can't imagine the amount of thought and research that had to go into this. From the opening chapter, you can almost FEEL where you are.
The dragons and her relationship with them? AHHHH. I was won with dragons. I've loved them since I read Tolkien a million years ago. These dragons? They have personality. They have shortcomings and strengths. They're their own characters and, like the MCs, are well-rounded. I also love that they have their own particular kryptonite (and it has a story, too).
I can't imagine the time it took to write this book. It's perfect. Dr. Iman Christians is an auto buy for me.
(Now I need Dragon Bride!!!)
It blew my d*mn mind and I want my review to do it at least some justice. It won't, but I'm gonna do my best without getting into spoilers. Because... there is a lot of story and I want everyone to get the FULL experience.
This is my favorite book of 2026. I don't care that it's May 1. My. Favorite.
The characters have DEPTH. Like, real, true flaws. Growth. Characteristics that aren't great. Heck, even a proclivity for poison. I still love them. I probably love them more because of said flaws, and the bad guys? Hate, hate, hate, LOATHE entirely. The FMC is awesome. She's strong but vulnerable, blind but sees, is sheltered but has the WILDEST "job" etc etc into infinity. She's tied to being only one thing. She doesn't have just one purpose. If someone decided anything for her, she'd probably fight them on it anyway (wink wink, nudge nudge, and that's as close to a spoiler as I'll come).
The settings? VIVID. Different regions have different climates and biomes and governments and hierarchies and even their own ways of dealing with different situations. A crime here isn't there. One thing is looked down on here but not there. I can't imagine the amount of thought and research that had to go into this. From the opening chapter, you can almost FEEL where you are.
The dragons and her relationship with them? AHHHH. I was won with dragons. I've loved them since I read Tolkien a million years ago. These dragons? They have personality. They have shortcomings and strengths. They're their own characters and, like the MCs, are well-rounded. I also love that they have their own particular kryptonite (and it has a story, too).
I can't imagine the time it took to write this book. It's perfect. Dr. Iman Christians is an auto buy for me.
(Now I need Dragon Bride!!!)
March 13, 2026
I am so grateful to have come across this randomly.
I feel this is hugely under-hyped! This feels like a true slow burn. I know I am going to be waiting until atleast the end of the next book or maybe a 3rd? Who knows, but i am here for it.
The story telling is beautifully written and vivid. It is so interesting seeing a POV from the MFC who is blind, and what she sees and feels throughout the story. It's truly pulled me in.
The MMC, well....he is quite grey. So many things on his agenda. Just when I think I can like him. He did something stupid in the past we're just finding out about. Will he ever learn!?
There are other characters that are at play, who want our MFC, but I'll let you read about it. Not all are romantic. The plot just kept plotting.
The dragons! I love everything about them, including the mystery surrounding them, their ability or inability to fly and reproduction.
So many armies and enemies are coming in to this. I can not wait to see where this goes. More people need to read this. Especially those who love a real slow burn 🔥
I feel this is hugely under-hyped! This feels like a true slow burn. I know I am going to be waiting until atleast the end of the next book or maybe a 3rd? Who knows, but i am here for it.
The story telling is beautifully written and vivid. It is so interesting seeing a POV from the MFC who is blind, and what she sees and feels throughout the story. It's truly pulled me in.
The MMC, well....he is quite grey. So many things on his agenda. Just when I think I can like him. He did something stupid in the past we're just finding out about. Will he ever learn!?
There are other characters that are at play, who want our MFC, but I'll let you read about it. Not all are romantic. The plot just kept plotting.
The dragons! I love everything about them, including the mystery surrounding them, their ability or inability to fly and reproduction.
So many armies and enemies are coming in to this. I can not wait to see where this goes. More people need to read this. Especially those who love a real slow burn 🔥
April 13, 2026
Eragon meets The Bridge Kingdom in this new indie black romantasy about a blind princess who can speak to dragons. Asha is tasked with caring for dragon eggs that must be brought to their father. Yet the man she is falling for seeks the dragon eggs to save his kingdom.
This was hands down one of the best romantasy books I have read in 2026. We have a brutal empire who uses dragons to maintain power, a blind princess banished to the dragon pit, all kinds of magical powers unique to each character, political intrigue, a soft-hearted yet fiercely brave “chosen one” FMC, a flawed but swoon-worthy MMC with an excruciating slow burn enemies to lovers situation, and arranged marriage. With DRAGONS 🐉 This indie gem just came out in fall of 2025 and the sequel is on the way. It’s on Kindle Unlimited so definitely check it out if you’re intrigued.
✅ African inspired
✅ Arranged marriage
✅ Slooooow burn enemies to lovers 🥵🔥🔥🔥
✅ Strong FMC
This was hands down one of the best romantasy books I have read in 2026. We have a brutal empire who uses dragons to maintain power, a blind princess banished to the dragon pit, all kinds of magical powers unique to each character, political intrigue, a soft-hearted yet fiercely brave “chosen one” FMC, a flawed but swoon-worthy MMC with an excruciating slow burn enemies to lovers situation, and arranged marriage. With DRAGONS 🐉 This indie gem just came out in fall of 2025 and the sequel is on the way. It’s on Kindle Unlimited so definitely check it out if you’re intrigued.
✅ African inspired
✅ Arranged marriage
✅ Slooooow burn enemies to lovers 🥵🔥🔥🔥
✅ Strong FMC
January 9, 2026
Thank you to author Iman Christians for the eARC. That being said, all thoughts and opinions on this book are my own. This story had me in a chokehold from the beginning. Drakkar's banter was hilarious. The chemistry between Asha and Adriel could not be denied but one thing that could be questioned was whether or not to trust Adriel. I wish there was more of a background of Drakkar and Seraphina. I hope to learn more about them in the coming book(s). I found Asha's journey to self-discovery and her finding a sense of power within what others deemed to be her weakness inspiring. After finishing the book, I found myself both respectively and non-respectively saying "what the heck!?!" because I wanted more! I cannot wait to progress in the story!
Favorite quote: "In that moment, I almost envied her blindness. Some goodbyes were just too brutal to watch."
Favorite quote: "In that moment, I almost envied her blindness. Some goodbyes were just too brutal to watch."
April 14, 2026
I loved this book! The best way I can describe it is if Wheel of Time, Black Panther, and Fourth Wing were in a polyamorous relationship, combined DNA, and had a baby: it would be this! I found the characters to be like-able and empathetic, with good tension and romantic spark! I loved the world building and found it to be vivid and intriguing and it felt fresh compared to some other recent fantasy reads. My biggest "critique" (if it can even be called that) is that I felt that some of the scenes moved too fast. There were a few points in the story where I wished I could've sat with the characters in those moments more. I understand the need for quick pacing in this day and age but this is a book I think would do really well split into two. Again, overall I loved it and I can't wait for the second installment!
October 25, 2025
ARC REVIEW
Did you feel something was lacking from Fourth Wing? Are you a fan of Game of Thrones - and especially our beloved Khalisi? Then here is a wonderful read for you.
Dragons? Check.
Slow burn? Check.
Diverse characters in race/LGBTQ+?? CHECK.
World building? Double check.
Dr. Iman Christian’s ability to get into head space of her characters in a way that fleshes them out on the page is unparalleled. As an author myself, I find I am frequently able to guess the next plot point -but I got it wrong everytime. She did such a good job at throwing curveballs at her BLIND main character. You read that right- the main character has a disability but portrays it as a strength instead of a hinderance (which trad published authors could learn from).
Did you feel something was lacking from Fourth Wing? Are you a fan of Game of Thrones - and especially our beloved Khalisi? Then here is a wonderful read for you.
Dragons? Check.
Slow burn? Check.
Diverse characters in race/LGBTQ+?? CHECK.
World building? Double check.
Dr. Iman Christian’s ability to get into head space of her characters in a way that fleshes them out on the page is unparalleled. As an author myself, I find I am frequently able to guess the next plot point -but I got it wrong everytime. She did such a good job at throwing curveballs at her BLIND main character. You read that right- the main character has a disability but portrays it as a strength instead of a hinderance (which trad published authors could learn from).
December 29, 2025
This book was one I could not put down! It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book as well balanced between character and story. The dragons are more than just props with their own lore and the world building is rich and deep! Can’t wait for book 2!
March 6, 2026
I am so attached to this character. I am thrilled to know that more is coming from this series because I couldn't stop reading. I was locked in!! This one is special!! Read it. I got it on kindle and audible & enjoyed enough to purchase a physical copy too.
February 25, 2026
Prepare to sit for a spell...
Because it's difficult to put down and was written with an enticing eloquence of dragons. This author has imagined a great tale.
Because it's difficult to put down and was written with an enticing eloquence of dragons. This author has imagined a great tale.
June 26, 2026
Dragon Blind is the first book in the Lightbearer series. It's an adventurous romantasy. Christians is a new to me author and I'm so happy that I tried this read because it will easily be one of my favorites for the year. I binged read this and couldn't put it down. I tandem read it with audio. The audio is singularly narrated by Star Williams. She does a great job and had me fall in love with Asha & this story. The audiobook provided an enjoyable listening experience and I would recommend it to my audiobook readers.
The story follows the MCs Asha & Adriel. Asha is a blind caretaker of dragons and the banished daughter of a king. Adriel is brother to the King and head of the army in an enemy kingdom. Both were intriguing characters with targets on their backs and an impossible mission to accomplish. One evening Asha bears witness to a dying dragon. The dragon's final wish was for Asha to care for her eggs and to find her mate. From that moment on Asha jumps into mother mode. She initially tries to keep the eggs a secret and goes above and beyond to protect them. Additionally, unbeknownst to Asha at the time, Adriel witnesses the encounter with the dying dragon and the discovery of the dragon eggs, and secretly plots to take the eggs to help protect his kingdom.
As the daughter of a king, Asha's evil father and brother try to marry her off and strengthen alliances. They hosted a competition with all the kingdoms and the winner was supposed to marry Asha despite her wishes against the marriage. Things go awry and the competition doesn't go as planned. Asha makes an escape attempt with the help of her other brother . This also goes awry and she ends up in the hands of Adriel. Asha & Adriel have an interesting relationship dynamic. They start off as enemies of warring kingdoms. Asha is essentially kidnapped by Adriel with the intention of making her a queen as his brother's wife. However, as the story progresses, the flick of a spark between them builds and they grow feelings for one another. Of course they attempt to fight against it, but the heart ultimately wins.
I really enjoyed Asha's character. She is one of the most undamsel damsel in distress characters that I've read. She often finds herself caught between a rock and a hard place, yet often manages to be her own hero. She runs away, defies, and even attempts to poison Adriel on several occasions in an effort to escape and protect her dragon eggs. She had me cracking up during several of her escape attempts.
Another aspect of the story that I enjoyed was how the author represents disability especially for Asha. Although there are challenges that she faces, her blindness is an integral part to her character's identity, talents, and abilities. I appreciated that the author gave space for the character to choose the alternative pathways and reject the obvious notion of "wholeness" through sight restoration. Asha lost her sight as a child and has adjusted to living without it. She has built a life for herself, perfected her skill and practice to care for dragons, and has heightened other senses in the absence of her vision. She doesn't perceive her blindness as a deficiency and ultimately rejects the offer to restore it when presented with the opportunity.
The story has great adventure, good world building that's not overwhelming, interesting primary and secondary characters, evil family members, a grumpy ride don't die dragon that I'm obsessed with, and is a true Mariana Zapatta style slowwww burn romance where theres a lil action in the last chapter. Last, I have to say that I LOVED Drakkar. He is her dragon and I was more giddy over him than Adriel. Drakkar is grumpy and does NOT play about Asha. He has claimed her and he meant business when he said, "she's mine". 👀 He has me laughing out loud with several of his comments and I enjoyed the fact that he doesn't like Adriel. I'm interested to see how that dynamic will play out in the second book. With that said, Dragon Blind does end on a cliffhanger so be prepared. However , book two will be here in no time! I can't wait to continue this journey.
Themes & Tropes:✨
🩵 Romantasy
🧡Enemies to Lovers
🤍Arranged Marriage
🩵 Dragons
🧡 Political Intrigue
🤍 Disability Representation/Vision loss
🩵Morally Grey
🧡Self Discovery Journey
Overall, loved this read.❤️
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The story follows the MCs Asha & Adriel. Asha is a blind caretaker of dragons and the banished daughter of a king. Adriel is brother to the King and head of the army in an enemy kingdom. Both were intriguing characters with targets on their backs and an impossible mission to accomplish. One evening Asha bears witness to a dying dragon. The dragon's final wish was for Asha to care for her eggs and to find her mate. From that moment on Asha jumps into mother mode. She initially tries to keep the eggs a secret and goes above and beyond to protect them. Additionally, unbeknownst to Asha at the time, Adriel witnesses the encounter with the dying dragon and the discovery of the dragon eggs, and secretly plots to take the eggs to help protect his kingdom.
As the daughter of a king, Asha's evil father and brother try to marry her off and strengthen alliances. They hosted a competition with all the kingdoms and the winner was supposed to marry Asha despite her wishes against the marriage. Things go awry and the competition doesn't go as planned. Asha makes an escape attempt with the help of her other brother . This also goes awry and she ends up in the hands of Adriel. Asha & Adriel have an interesting relationship dynamic. They start off as enemies of warring kingdoms. Asha is essentially kidnapped by Adriel with the intention of making her a queen as his brother's wife. However, as the story progresses, the flick of a spark between them builds and they grow feelings for one another. Of course they attempt to fight against it, but the heart ultimately wins.
I really enjoyed Asha's character. She is one of the most undamsel damsel in distress characters that I've read. She often finds herself caught between a rock and a hard place, yet often manages to be her own hero. She runs away, defies, and even attempts to poison Adriel on several occasions in an effort to escape and protect her dragon eggs. She had me cracking up during several of her escape attempts.
Another aspect of the story that I enjoyed was how the author represents disability especially for Asha. Although there are challenges that she faces, her blindness is an integral part to her character's identity, talents, and abilities. I appreciated that the author gave space for the character to choose the alternative pathways and reject the obvious notion of "wholeness" through sight restoration. Asha lost her sight as a child and has adjusted to living without it. She has built a life for herself, perfected her skill and practice to care for dragons, and has heightened other senses in the absence of her vision. She doesn't perceive her blindness as a deficiency and ultimately rejects the offer to restore it when presented with the opportunity.
The story has great adventure, good world building that's not overwhelming, interesting primary and secondary characters, evil family members, a grumpy ride don't die dragon that I'm obsessed with, and is a true Mariana Zapatta style slowwww burn romance where theres a lil action in the last chapter. Last, I have to say that I LOVED Drakkar. He is her dragon and I was more giddy over him than Adriel. Drakkar is grumpy and does NOT play about Asha. He has claimed her and he meant business when he said, "she's mine". 👀 He has me laughing out loud with several of his comments and I enjoyed the fact that he doesn't like Adriel. I'm interested to see how that dynamic will play out in the second book. With that said, Dragon Blind does end on a cliffhanger so be prepared. However , book two will be here in no time! I can't wait to continue this journey.
Themes & Tropes:✨
🩵 Romantasy
🧡Enemies to Lovers
🤍Arranged Marriage
🩵 Dragons
🧡 Political Intrigue
🤍 Disability Representation/Vision loss
🩵Morally Grey
🧡Self Discovery Journey
Overall, loved this read.❤️
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
June 24, 2026
I feel like I should explain why I rated this 2 stars, because I don’t like leaving bad reviews without an explanation, and it’s not simply that the story wasn’t for me. Let me be clear, I LOVED the first ~40% of the book and was convinced this would be my next 5 star read. It was fun and interesting, I love that the FMC is a Black woman written by a Black woman (and am frankly sick and tired of the lack of diversity in this genre). I found the author on socials and loved everything she said about this book. I was looking for Daenerys and Drogo with a better story like the author posted. I was SO excited for this book that I bought and preordered kindle and hard copies of both this and Dragon Bride before reading.
Ultimately, I DNF’d this book at 75% and cancelled my preorders of the sequel. I almost never DNF a book because it feels like a personal failure (idk why honestly) but I simply could not force myself to finish. Here is why(some spoilers ahead):
The story itself after ~40-50% gets very confusing at times. I had to page back and forth several times to make sure I didn’t miss something because of how often it jumps around. Things happen randomly that make no sense and have no buildup. There are a ton of repeated sentences and specific phrases (at least on the kindle version, by the time the hard copy got to me I had already DNF’d), and at one point an entire paragraph is repeated from one page to the next. In each of these situations, the phrase, sentence, or paragraph only makes sense in one of the places in which it appears. It seems as though nobody read through the second half of this book before publishing it.
I read GoT and loved it. I then watched GoT and loved 7 of the seasons (iykyk). I did not get any Daenerys or Drogo vibes from this. At all. The FMC is significantly older than Daenerys was, and is somehow so much more whiny, immature, and mentally weaker than Daenerys ever was. She is so frail, so weak, it is mentioned a lot. The MMC is supposed to be like Drogo, but instead he comes across to me as childish, bland, and weak minded. Their personalities would be more believable if the characters were young teens. Again, the author is the one who said this story was Daenerys done the right way. I feel like that should not be the marketing strategy unless others think it’s accurate?
The slow burn was nonexistent. Tepid at best and then insta love. The enemies to lovers wasn’t there either. The dragon was fun but then is MIA for so much of the story after he shows up, even though the FMC and eggs are being held prisoner and in danger the entire time. He cares about his eggs ferociously and then later does not care that one is in danger because the FMC’s sadness about the egg matters more to him? He basically says “it is what it is” like it’s nothing to be sad over. Huh?? He knows the MMC has ill intentions but then just.. leaves his children with him and the FMC who keeps trying to escape (via poison every single time instead of leaving with her giant flying dragon)? She doesn’t have powers except seeing auras, or any physical prowess (I thought the dragons were meant to make up for her lack of power) and then suddenly has THE most powerful magical gift to ever exist and is also a messiah of some sort? That was precisely where I said enough. It was all over the place. It ultimately felt like a rough draft was uploaded to kindle by accident instead of the final version. The overall writing feels very much like a YA novel, but there is also spice, so it is meant to be an adult novel. This just makes it all feel even more disjointed.
I tried very hard to get through the last 25%, picking it up and putting it down many times before finally giving up. I feel like I might have enjoyed this a lot more if the second half of the book was edited as much as the first half clearly was(the first part was awesome!). Also may have enjoyed this more if this was not advertised by the author as a Daenerys and Drogo love story done right. The *only* similarity I found in this book is that there are three dragon eggs. Ultimately, I might try this book again in the future *if* it gets picked up by a publisher and edited. Some great ideas, they just got all jumbled up in the end. At this time, I have no desire to continue the series any further. The 2 stars are for the first ~40% of the book. Hard 2/5 stars and DNF. I do not see myself continuing the series.
Ultimately, I DNF’d this book at 75% and cancelled my preorders of the sequel. I almost never DNF a book because it feels like a personal failure (idk why honestly) but I simply could not force myself to finish. Here is why(some spoilers ahead):
The story itself after ~40-50% gets very confusing at times. I had to page back and forth several times to make sure I didn’t miss something because of how often it jumps around. Things happen randomly that make no sense and have no buildup. There are a ton of repeated sentences and specific phrases (at least on the kindle version, by the time the hard copy got to me I had already DNF’d), and at one point an entire paragraph is repeated from one page to the next. In each of these situations, the phrase, sentence, or paragraph only makes sense in one of the places in which it appears. It seems as though nobody read through the second half of this book before publishing it.
I read GoT and loved it. I then watched GoT and loved 7 of the seasons (iykyk). I did not get any Daenerys or Drogo vibes from this. At all. The FMC is significantly older than Daenerys was, and is somehow so much more whiny, immature, and mentally weaker than Daenerys ever was. She is so frail, so weak, it is mentioned a lot. The MMC is supposed to be like Drogo, but instead he comes across to me as childish, bland, and weak minded. Their personalities would be more believable if the characters were young teens. Again, the author is the one who said this story was Daenerys done the right way. I feel like that should not be the marketing strategy unless others think it’s accurate?
The slow burn was nonexistent. Tepid at best and then insta love. The enemies to lovers wasn’t there either. The dragon was fun but then is MIA for so much of the story after he shows up, even though the FMC and eggs are being held prisoner and in danger the entire time. He cares about his eggs ferociously and then later does not care that one is in danger because the FMC’s sadness about the egg matters more to him? He basically says “it is what it is” like it’s nothing to be sad over. Huh?? He knows the MMC has ill intentions but then just.. leaves his children with him and the FMC who keeps trying to escape (via poison every single time instead of leaving with her giant flying dragon)? She doesn’t have powers except seeing auras, or any physical prowess (I thought the dragons were meant to make up for her lack of power) and then suddenly has THE most powerful magical gift to ever exist and is also a messiah of some sort? That was precisely where I said enough. It was all over the place. It ultimately felt like a rough draft was uploaded to kindle by accident instead of the final version. The overall writing feels very much like a YA novel, but there is also spice, so it is meant to be an adult novel. This just makes it all feel even more disjointed.
I tried very hard to get through the last 25%, picking it up and putting it down many times before finally giving up. I feel like I might have enjoyed this a lot more if the second half of the book was edited as much as the first half clearly was(the first part was awesome!). Also may have enjoyed this more if this was not advertised by the author as a Daenerys and Drogo love story done right. The *only* similarity I found in this book is that there are three dragon eggs. Ultimately, I might try this book again in the future *if* it gets picked up by a publisher and edited. Some great ideas, they just got all jumbled up in the end. At this time, I have no desire to continue the series any further. The 2 stars are for the first ~40% of the book. Hard 2/5 stars and DNF. I do not see myself continuing the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2026
I have been on a hunt. A very specific, very determined hunt for a dragon book that was going to grab me by the collar, pull me in, and refuse to let me go until the very last page. I have picked up and put down more books than I care to admit looking for that one, the one that scratches that particular itch in just the right way. And then Dragon Blind landed in my hands, and let me tell you, the search is over.
This book did exactly what I needed it to do. It caught my eye and it kept me entertained from beginning to end, but what surprised me the most was how much more it turned out to be than I expected going in. Yes, there is an enemies to lovers storyline woven through it, and listen, I am never mad at that trope when it is done well. But calling this just an enemies to lovers story would be doing it a serious disservice, because at its heart this book is about something far deeper and far more fascinating than that.
At the center of everything is a battle for blind loyalty, and no, that is not a pun, though I will say the irony is not lost on me because our female main character is actually blind. And what an absolutely brilliant and unique way to build a story. A woman who has lost her sight, navigating a world that is harsh and unforgiving and that she simply cannot see. The way the author uses that limitation to shape the entire perspective of the story is nothing short of creative genius. Reading the world through her experience, feeling the darkness she moves through, watching her figure out how to survive and connect and fight in a world that was not built with her in mind, it is unlike anything I have read before.
And can we talk about the world building for a moment? Because it is stunning. The glimpses you get of this world painted entirely through senses that are not sight, through sound and touch and instinct and trust, are genuinely breathtaking. There is something so moving about watching someone be brave enough to take a step they cannot even see coming. That alone made my heart clench more than once.
I also need to address the family situation because why is the family always the number one source of chaos and betrayal? I hate it. I genuinely hate it every single time. And yet I understand it because someone has to be the villain, and there is nothing quite as gut wrenching as when that villain shares your blood. It adds a layer of pain to the story that no outside enemy ever truly could.
My absolute favorite part though? The dragons. Making friends with dragons when you cannot see them, learning to trust creatures that the rest of the world fears or ignores, building those bonds in the dark. That element of the story filled my heart in the best possible way.
If you are looking for a romantasy that brings something genuinely fresh to the table, and if dragons are anywhere on your list of things that make a book instantly better, then please do yourself a favor and pick up Dragon Blind. You will not regret it for a single second.
This book did exactly what I needed it to do. It caught my eye and it kept me entertained from beginning to end, but what surprised me the most was how much more it turned out to be than I expected going in. Yes, there is an enemies to lovers storyline woven through it, and listen, I am never mad at that trope when it is done well. But calling this just an enemies to lovers story would be doing it a serious disservice, because at its heart this book is about something far deeper and far more fascinating than that.
At the center of everything is a battle for blind loyalty, and no, that is not a pun, though I will say the irony is not lost on me because our female main character is actually blind. And what an absolutely brilliant and unique way to build a story. A woman who has lost her sight, navigating a world that is harsh and unforgiving and that she simply cannot see. The way the author uses that limitation to shape the entire perspective of the story is nothing short of creative genius. Reading the world through her experience, feeling the darkness she moves through, watching her figure out how to survive and connect and fight in a world that was not built with her in mind, it is unlike anything I have read before.
And can we talk about the world building for a moment? Because it is stunning. The glimpses you get of this world painted entirely through senses that are not sight, through sound and touch and instinct and trust, are genuinely breathtaking. There is something so moving about watching someone be brave enough to take a step they cannot even see coming. That alone made my heart clench more than once.
I also need to address the family situation because why is the family always the number one source of chaos and betrayal? I hate it. I genuinely hate it every single time. And yet I understand it because someone has to be the villain, and there is nothing quite as gut wrenching as when that villain shares your blood. It adds a layer of pain to the story that no outside enemy ever truly could.
My absolute favorite part though? The dragons. Making friends with dragons when you cannot see them, learning to trust creatures that the rest of the world fears or ignores, building those bonds in the dark. That element of the story filled my heart in the best possible way.
If you are looking for a romantasy that brings something genuinely fresh to the table, and if dragons are anywhere on your list of things that make a book instantly better, then please do yourself a favor and pick up Dragon Blind. You will not regret it for a single second.
June 30, 2026
‘Dragon Blind’ focuses on Asha, a princess who, after losing her sight, is forced to live in the dragon pits and is treated poorly due to her disability. Asha has a sad life, so when a dying mother dragon asks Asha to save her eggs, Asha knows she will do anything to help. Especially if it will get her away from the horrible kingdom she’s had to call a home. However, she’s barely left the kingdom when she is kidnapped by Adriel, a prince from a rival kingdom who wants to not only steal the eggs, but also force her to marry his horrible brother too. Will Asha be able to escape Adriel’s clutches and reunite the dragon eggs with their father, or will Asha grow fond of her captor against her better judgement?
One thing that really drew me to this book was how it focuses on often unheard voices. For example, not only is the MC blind, she is also a POC. The book was described as a black romantasy and as most romantasy series I’ve read focus on white protagonists I was keen to read something a bit different. The plot focuses more on the MC’s blindness, but this was still unique and I particularly loved how the MC eventually saw their blindness as a gift and even refused the chance to regain her sight when it was offered.
Another thing I really liked about this book was the lesbian character, Kitchi. She was a cool side character who was strong, kind, and who you couldn’t help but love. Sometimes LGBTQ+ characters feel thrown in just to tick off something else on the diversity checklist, but everything about Kitchi felt authentic and she was a quick favourite of mine.
The reason I didn’t give the book five stars is because I preferred the first half of the book. The plot felt less structured and a bit slower as the novel progressed, and sometimes it was a bit hard to keep track of what was going on, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless
Overall, there was a lot in this novel to like and it was perfect for Pride Month! It’s a unique take on romantasy books and if you fancy something different then I’d recommend giving this a read.
One thing that really drew me to this book was how it focuses on often unheard voices. For example, not only is the MC blind, she is also a POC. The book was described as a black romantasy and as most romantasy series I’ve read focus on white protagonists I was keen to read something a bit different. The plot focuses more on the MC’s blindness, but this was still unique and I particularly loved how the MC eventually saw their blindness as a gift and even refused the chance to regain her sight when it was offered.
Another thing I really liked about this book was the lesbian character, Kitchi. She was a cool side character who was strong, kind, and who you couldn’t help but love. Sometimes LGBTQ+ characters feel thrown in just to tick off something else on the diversity checklist, but everything about Kitchi felt authentic and she was a quick favourite of mine.
The reason I didn’t give the book five stars is because I preferred the first half of the book. The plot felt less structured and a bit slower as the novel progressed, and sometimes it was a bit hard to keep track of what was going on, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless
Overall, there was a lot in this novel to like and it was perfect for Pride Month! It’s a unique take on romantasy books and if you fancy something different then I’d recommend giving this a read.
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