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Fire and Fang #1
Sky Shielder
He helped destroy her family. Now he wants to protect her. Dare she trust him?
For generations, magical sky shields have defended the Garden Kingdom from dragons and their savage riders. Now, the shield protecting the capital has been sabotaged, the castle destroyed, and all except the youngest member of the royal family slain.
A healer with a love for books, antiques, and avoiding family gatherings, Princess Syla never thought the future of the kingdom would rely upon her—or that assassins would be hunting her down. With only an aged bodyguard with bad knees to protect her, she’s in way over her head.
Then he shows up.
The powerful and deadly dragon rider Captain Vorik claims to be from a faction that wants peace, not war, and who opposed the attack. Supposedly, he and his dragon ally were sent to protect Syla.
With threats coming from all directions, she has no choice but to accept his help, but she doesn’t trust him—or her attraction to him.
Why is he really there? To kill her? To spy on her? To seduce her?
All Syla knows for certain is that she must get the best of Vorik before he can get the best of her. Her kingdom and her life depend on it.
Sky Shielder contains sex, violence, and arrogant and opinionated dragons.
For generations, magical sky shields have defended the Garden Kingdom from dragons and their savage riders. Now, the shield protecting the capital has been sabotaged, the castle destroyed, and all except the youngest member of the royal family slain.
A healer with a love for books, antiques, and avoiding family gatherings, Princess Syla never thought the future of the kingdom would rely upon her—or that assassins would be hunting her down. With only an aged bodyguard with bad knees to protect her, she’s in way over her head.
Then he shows up.
The powerful and deadly dragon rider Captain Vorik claims to be from a faction that wants peace, not war, and who opposed the attack. Supposedly, he and his dragon ally were sent to protect Syla.
With threats coming from all directions, she has no choice but to accept his help, but she doesn’t trust him—or her attraction to him.
Why is he really there? To kill her? To spy on her? To seduce her?
All Syla knows for certain is that she must get the best of Vorik before he can get the best of her. Her kingdom and her life depend on it.
Sky Shielder contains sex, violence, and arrogant and opinionated dragons.
424 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2025
About the author
Lindsay Buroker
200 books6,349 followersI'm a full-time indie fantasy and science fiction author. When I'm not writing, I'm ferrying my dogs to hiking trails for adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
October 13, 2025
Lindsay's inimitable snarky dragons are back! Oh, how I've missed them and their strange priorities.
This is a lighthearted fantasy (if you discount the initial massacre) with the MFC and MMC being on opposite sides of a longstanding war in which one side desires safety and the other side desires... fruit?
The main and side characters are fun and engaging with plenty of banter, friendship and of course the DRAGONS. I absolutely loved it and can't wait for the next one. I hope the path of true dragon love will run smooth, but I think a certain red-scaled beauty will make her suitors work for it . Oh, and the human love story is cute, too.
This is a lighthearted fantasy (if you discount the initial massacre) with the MFC and MMC being on opposite sides of a longstanding war in which one side desires safety and the other side desires... fruit?
The main and side characters are fun and engaging with plenty of banter, friendship and of course the DRAGONS. I absolutely loved it and can't wait for the next one. I hope the path of true dragon love will run smooth, but I think a certain red-scaled beauty will make her suitors work for it . Oh, and the human love story is cute, too.
October 31, 2025
Entertaining Read....but....
First: I love this author. I have read all of her books and always appreciate the humor and find the stories enjoyable. This book was the same with the humor......but I had a difficult time getting over the gullibility of the MFC. Her home had just been decimated and her family murdered by the MMC's people. Actions the MMC participated in! For the MFC to then willy nilly follow after his pretty face was just a step too far for me. Perhaps if the amount of loss hadn't been so extensive I could have suspended my disbelief better. I recognize there were several attempts to convey the grief felt by the MFC but it never balanced out. The darkness of those initial losses overwhelmed the attempted light-heartedness of the rest of the story. However, I'm willing to go along with it due to my faith in the author. Overall, the book is worth reading for sure and I will definitely read the next one....which I hope is a bit more "realistic" in terms of emotional depth.
First: I love this author. I have read all of her books and always appreciate the humor and find the stories enjoyable. This book was the same with the humor......but I had a difficult time getting over the gullibility of the MFC. Her home had just been decimated and her family murdered by the MMC's people. Actions the MMC participated in! For the MFC to then willy nilly follow after his pretty face was just a step too far for me. Perhaps if the amount of loss hadn't been so extensive I could have suspended my disbelief better. I recognize there were several attempts to convey the grief felt by the MFC but it never balanced out. The darkness of those initial losses overwhelmed the attempted light-heartedness of the rest of the story. However, I'm willing to go along with it due to my faith in the author. Overall, the book is worth reading for sure and I will definitely read the next one....which I hope is a bit more "realistic" in terms of emotional depth.
October 30, 2025
Okayyyy
Read to the end, even though the book is a bit slow. The action wasn't edge of your seat. The romance was more one night stand with a colleague vying for the same role. So yeah that... It didn't pull at heart strings.
Am still looking for the "epic" in all this.
The dragons absolutely made this book. Agrevlari made me laugh with his off handed comments. He should be the MC lol
The world build needs a bit more attention. We are given hints but where are we? It missed the immersive aspect for me.
I don't particularly see a good resolution between the factions..... But that's a good thing. If book 2 doesn't do a rinse and repeat this could be interesting.
On to book 2.... You lot coming?
Read to the end, even though the book is a bit slow. The action wasn't edge of your seat. The romance was more one night stand with a colleague vying for the same role. So yeah that... It didn't pull at heart strings.
Am still looking for the "epic" in all this.
The dragons absolutely made this book. Agrevlari made me laugh with his off handed comments. He should be the MC lol
The world build needs a bit more attention. We are given hints but where are we? It missed the immersive aspect for me.
I don't particularly see a good resolution between the factions..... But that's a good thing. If book 2 doesn't do a rinse and repeat this could be interesting.
On to book 2.... You lot coming?
November 20, 2025
Kinda silly but a nice diversion from all the deep, sometimes dark fantasy/romantasies on tap right now.
December 4, 2025
I gave up at 53%
I just couldn't carry on with this one.
I just couldn't carry on with this one.
November 18, 2025
I'm not sure what I think about this book it was half bad ,half good the parts I liked about it was the amount of interaction between the characters they talked a lot and the dragons were pretty cool too but the story lacked detail and I struggled to picture everything in my mind and I don't like the MFC as much she's gullible I understand the author tried to make the MMC story believable but then it should've affected the other characters beliefs too because I don't know about you but if all my friends tell me not to do something I would listen and the lack of any emotion she had to her family dieing is just really sad but what made her shead a tear was some random artifacts not her family? And on top of that her family just died chaos is all over and you tell I guy you don't trust him but allow him to touch you and lean into his touch not mention not pull away when he kisses your neck like what's the main goal here? I also caught myself rolling my eyes everytime something got mentioned about the MMC groin or arousal because it was not the time or place for him to think about that. The romance just didn't do it for me it felt like a sped up version of Rome and Juliet.
November 2, 2025
Couldn’t finish it.
December 23, 2025
decided to do myself a favor and quit while i was ahead. this book was going absolutely nowhere and im over it unfortunately
October 30, 2025
Fun Romp Right from the Start
I've read many Lindsay Buroker books by now, and she never disappoints. I'm addicted to her books, honestly. The main characters are likeable, the dragons pompous, the humor on point, and the romance is sizzling. My only critique is that the world building was a bit simplistic and the plot a bit straightforward, which was the reason for 4 starts. However, I can forgive this because by the end I have a smile, and I'm wanting more! I will say that usually it takes Lindsay some time to hit her stride, but the action/romance in this book started right out the gate. For those who want that action right away, this book will be for them. Please read more Lindsay! She's amazing!
I've read many Lindsay Buroker books by now, and she never disappoints. I'm addicted to her books, honestly. The main characters are likeable, the dragons pompous, the humor on point, and the romance is sizzling. My only critique is that the world building was a bit simplistic and the plot a bit straightforward, which was the reason for 4 starts. However, I can forgive this because by the end I have a smile, and I'm wanting more! I will say that usually it takes Lindsay some time to hit her stride, but the action/romance in this book started right out the gate. For those who want that action right away, this book will be for them. Please read more Lindsay! She's amazing!
November 9, 2025
Couldn’t Decide What It Wanted to Be
I really didn’t enjoy this one. The story kept jumping between violent fantasy and awkward romantic comedy — with dragons obsessed with sex thrown in for good measure. It couldn’t settle on a tone, and it made the whole thing feel disjointed.
I didn’t connect with any of the characters, not even the dragons, and the romance between Syla and Vorik felt shallow and forced. At times it all read like kids playing dress-up rather than a believable fantasy world.
If you like the first few chapters, you’ll probably enjoy the rest and rate it higher than I did. But for me, it just didn’t work.
I really didn’t enjoy this one. The story kept jumping between violent fantasy and awkward romantic comedy — with dragons obsessed with sex thrown in for good measure. It couldn’t settle on a tone, and it made the whole thing feel disjointed.
I didn’t connect with any of the characters, not even the dragons, and the romance between Syla and Vorik felt shallow and forced. At times it all read like kids playing dress-up rather than a believable fantasy world.
If you like the first few chapters, you’ll probably enjoy the rest and rate it higher than I did. But for me, it just didn’t work.
March 16, 2026
I can't finish this. It's just not good. I don't like the MC at all. the guy is just a kind of sexy goofy warrior that loves fruit. their attraction feels out of place considering what happened to her family and his part in it. and she saw him too!
I love the emperor's edge series and death before dragons series by this author. but this one is a no for me.
I love the emperor's edge series and death before dragons series by this author. but this one is a no for me.
April 9, 2026
Usually I’m a big fan of Ms Buroker’s books but I’m actually abandoning this one. I absolutely adored her Emperor’s Edge series and also enjoyed her Dragon Blood books. Sadly I am finding her more recent stories lack the depth of those earlier tomes. This is meant to be epic and gritty fantasy but what we were given was snark, banter and a MMC who thought with his gonads. I don’t mind a bit of humour but there was just too much in here and it gave a modern day vibe that felt out of place in a fantasy book.
November 15, 2025
Lindsay Buroker could write a novel on how to boil water and I would read it.
Sky Shielder has a wonderfully violent start, setting the stage for what would be the atmosphere for the remainder of the book. Despite some believing that the FMC should've been too emotionally devastated for the development of the relationship within this story, I thought it fit her personality and world view beautifully.
Complicated political dynamics, nations at war, a stubborn but heartfelt protag, a strong, berry loving MMC, snarky dragons? What else could you ask for?
actually, my only complaint is that I binged the book in two days and now I have to wait for more.
Sky Shielder has a wonderfully violent start, setting the stage for what would be the atmosphere for the remainder of the book. Despite some believing that the FMC should've been too emotionally devastated for the development of the relationship within this story, I thought it fit her personality and world view beautifully.
Complicated political dynamics, nations at war, a stubborn but heartfelt protag, a strong, berry loving MMC, snarky dragons? What else could you ask for?
actually, my only complaint is that I binged the book in two days and now I have to wait for more.
October 30, 2025
Fantastic
I was hooked before the end of the first chapter. The cliffhangers kept you enticed to the end.
The final cliffhanger has you asking when is book 2 and how many more after that.
The interaction between the two main characters is intriguing. The supporting characters are well defined human and dragon. Although one dragon is definitely a heroine.
I was hooked before the end of the first chapter. The cliffhangers kept you enticed to the end.
The final cliffhanger has you asking when is book 2 and how many more after that.
The interaction between the two main characters is intriguing. The supporting characters are well defined human and dragon. Although one dragon is definitely a heroine.
February 11, 2026
4.5🌟’s rounded up. The storyline was ok but what made this book great was the dragons and their inner dialogue. Can’t wait to see what happens on book 2.
February 9, 2026
Overall thoughts, it didn’t deliver.
There wasn’t any emotional depth nor was there a great deal of world building - we don’t know anything about this rebel army, the dragon bonding, the moon marks, where the gods went.
I also felt like the whole idea of grief was an afterthought. The romance (if you want to call it that) was ill-timed and too insta-lust for my liking. But to be honest, the very idea of him or actually, the idea of a romance AT ALL gave me a MONSTER ick face. Why? WHO WOULD SHE DO THAT?!?
The FMC is a gullible idiot who would NEVER do the shit she does with the commander of the army that just destroyed her entire family. I can even understand being in shock but damn y’all give it 24 hours. I call so much bs on her actions that they’re not even remotely plausible even in a damn fantasy book. You can’t even suspend reality enough to buy the bullshit.
The action wasn’t bad. I mean, it wasn't captivating but the dragon spars were interesting.
I didn’t find the dragon “snark” to be as humorous as it was intended to be – his bonded dragon always talking about the human’s coital affairs and such. Frankly, it was just kind of dumb. Too much attention was focused on Captain V and his manhood.
I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. There’s no one to root for. I don’t want to root for an actual idiot. Captain V is just using her so I don’t want to root for him. Wreylith is the only one with an iota of promise but even she is overly arrogant.
I doubt I’ll continue this series.
—----------------
Syla, our FMC, is princess of the Garden Kingdom and the sole survivor after her family and castle were attacked by a legion of raiders on dragons. Someone had apparently disabled or damaged the sky shielder, a magical element that creates an impenetrable barrier dome that keeps dragons out so the island’s residents could herd the game and farm the lands without worry.
To the kingdoms that can’t grow anything due to their dry, arid climate, access to the Garden Kingdom lush and fertile grounds are worth waging war.
Captain Vorik, younger brother to the general of the attacking kingdom was ordered to do whatever necessary to earn the trust of Syla once they learned she hadn’t been killed in the attack. His goal is to learn the location of the other shielders on all of the Kingdom’s islands. To gain her trust and compliance, he’s claimed to be a deserter of his brother's army and part of a faction that wants peace. He even has to “fight” his own men in battle to help save Syla from an attack just to prove he isn’t a liar. So she’s to believe he’s there to PROTECT her and not use her. EVERYONE else sees through his bullshit but not our gullible FMC. I just LOVE stupid gullible FMC’s who are supposed to save the world but can’t even see bullshit when it’s smeared on her face.
The beginning of the book was much reminiscent of Vera from Scooby Doo with her bad vision and need for glasses... I mean "spectacles". It was giving me "solar plexus" vibes from Brimstone.
The obsession with fruit is weird. I get it – you live in the desert and don’t have fruit but it’s just… weird. Going to war over fruit. Got it.
I really, really wanted to like this one.
I guess my big plus for this is that I love the cover...
There wasn’t any emotional depth nor was there a great deal of world building - we don’t know anything about this rebel army, the dragon bonding, the moon marks, where the gods went.
I also felt like the whole idea of grief was an afterthought. The romance (if you want to call it that) was ill-timed and too insta-lust for my liking. But to be honest, the very idea of him or actually, the idea of a romance AT ALL gave me a MONSTER ick face. Why? WHO WOULD SHE DO THAT?!?
The FMC is a gullible idiot who would NEVER do the shit she does with the commander of the army that just destroyed her entire family. I can even understand being in shock but damn y’all give it 24 hours. I call so much bs on her actions that they’re not even remotely plausible even in a damn fantasy book. You can’t even suspend reality enough to buy the bullshit.
The action wasn’t bad. I mean, it wasn't captivating but the dragon spars were interesting.
I didn’t find the dragon “snark” to be as humorous as it was intended to be – his bonded dragon always talking about the human’s coital affairs and such. Frankly, it was just kind of dumb. Too much attention was focused on Captain V and his manhood.
I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. There’s no one to root for. I don’t want to root for an actual idiot. Captain V is just using her so I don’t want to root for him. Wreylith is the only one with an iota of promise but even she is overly arrogant.
I doubt I’ll continue this series.
—----------------
Syla, our FMC, is princess of the Garden Kingdom and the sole survivor after her family and castle were attacked by a legion of raiders on dragons. Someone had apparently disabled or damaged the sky shielder, a magical element that creates an impenetrable barrier dome that keeps dragons out so the island’s residents could herd the game and farm the lands without worry.
To the kingdoms that can’t grow anything due to their dry, arid climate, access to the Garden Kingdom lush and fertile grounds are worth waging war.
Captain Vorik, younger brother to the general of the attacking kingdom was ordered to do whatever necessary to earn the trust of Syla once they learned she hadn’t been killed in the attack. His goal is to learn the location of the other shielders on all of the Kingdom’s islands. To gain her trust and compliance, he’s claimed to be a deserter of his brother's army and part of a faction that wants peace. He even has to “fight” his own men in battle to help save Syla from an attack just to prove he isn’t a liar. So she’s to believe he’s there to PROTECT her and not use her. EVERYONE else sees through his bullshit but not our gullible FMC. I just LOVE stupid gullible FMC’s who are supposed to save the world but can’t even see bullshit when it’s smeared on her face.
The beginning of the book was much reminiscent of Vera from Scooby Doo with her bad vision and need for glasses... I mean "spectacles". It was giving me "solar plexus" vibes from Brimstone.
The obsession with fruit is weird. I get it – you live in the desert and don’t have fruit but it’s just… weird. Going to war over fruit. Got it.
I really, really wanted to like this one.
I guess my big plus for this is that I love the cover...
December 26, 2025
3.5 stars. ok, but not as good as emperor's edge series.
February 13, 2026
Loved this! The dragons were so fun and spicy I loved them! The communication of the dragons reminded me of fourth wing but this book is totally different and fun as the characters are more mature and plot is entirely different. Absolutely recommend!
November 24, 2025
Smutty
I don’t appreciate the totally out of character sex scenes. The main female character is used by the author to sell smutty scenes that don’t even jive with the plot or the character. Whole pages of explicit sex scenes with words like “cock” etc. did nothing for to forward the story and even created holes in the story line.
I don’t appreciate the totally out of character sex scenes. The main female character is used by the author to sell smutty scenes that don’t even jive with the plot or the character. Whole pages of explicit sex scenes with words like “cock” etc. did nothing for to forward the story and even created holes in the story line.
March 21, 2026
I really wanted to like this but I ended up DNF at 25% because I felt like I was forcing myself to read it. The FMC and MMC were both a bit boring and lackluster. She didn’t respond like someone who’d lost everyone, and his personality didn’t really make sense to me at all.
I usually don’t like/need a whole lot of world building but I had NO idea about her their worlds and I couldn’t envision their relationship developing, or even working.
Like everyone said, the dragon was the best part.
I usually don’t like/need a whole lot of world building but I had NO idea about her their worlds and I couldn’t envision their relationship developing, or even working.
Like everyone said, the dragon was the best part.
March 3, 2026
I will do my best to summarize my feelings on this book in a way that makes sense.
I am in no way an overly seasoned fantasy reader, but this for me just wasn’t it. The plot is so unbelievable (I get that it’s a fantasy and it’s not supposed to be realistic, hold on), and the pacing is way too fast. The biggest flaw here is that a good half of this book takes place in less than 24 hours, which makes the relationship between these two main characters totally unbelievable.
The general gist of this is that Vorik, the MMC, has this mission to seduce Syla, the FMC, who finds herself the heir to the throne after her whole family gets murdered by this dragon rider army that Vorik is part of. In an effort to gain power, Vorik’s commander brother tells him he has to gain Syla’s trust to get information out of her.
Because of the issues with the plot and the pacing, Vorik goes from 0 to 100 in the span of 24 hours with his tactics to gain Syla’s trust. He basically “rescues” Syla after the action-packed first scene where dragons destroy her home and family, and immediately tries to hit on her. Syla, who does not ever seem to feel sad or grieve for her entire family that was just assassinated, seems like she’s all for it despite knowing Vorik for like, 2 hours. Their “relationship” comes together way too quickly in general and I had to keep reminding myself that they’d just met each other earlier that same day after her whole family was just killed. It just makes no sense.
Also, the prose in this book is confusing. People will say sentences like “You’ll not attack the princess”, and then later on, there’s a scene where Syla accuses Vorik of “gaslighting” her. Why would anyone in a fantasy world know what the phrase “gaslighting” means???
There are also way too many scenes where Syla and Vorik talk about cobbler, fruit, and/or baking. Yes, you read that right.
The only saving grace for me was the dragons, who are sarcastic, sassy, and genuinely funny at times. They bumped this up to a 2-star read.
Is this more lighthearted, yes. Is it an actually good plot, no. Will I be continuing with this series, probably not.
I am in no way an overly seasoned fantasy reader, but this for me just wasn’t it. The plot is so unbelievable (I get that it’s a fantasy and it’s not supposed to be realistic, hold on), and the pacing is way too fast. The biggest flaw here is that a good half of this book takes place in less than 24 hours, which makes the relationship between these two main characters totally unbelievable.
The general gist of this is that Vorik, the MMC, has this mission to seduce Syla, the FMC, who finds herself the heir to the throne after her whole family gets murdered by this dragon rider army that Vorik is part of. In an effort to gain power, Vorik’s commander brother tells him he has to gain Syla’s trust to get information out of her.
Because of the issues with the plot and the pacing, Vorik goes from 0 to 100 in the span of 24 hours with his tactics to gain Syla’s trust. He basically “rescues” Syla after the action-packed first scene where dragons destroy her home and family, and immediately tries to hit on her. Syla, who does not ever seem to feel sad or grieve for her entire family that was just assassinated, seems like she’s all for it despite knowing Vorik for like, 2 hours. Their “relationship” comes together way too quickly in general and I had to keep reminding myself that they’d just met each other earlier that same day after her whole family was just killed. It just makes no sense.
Also, the prose in this book is confusing. People will say sentences like “You’ll not attack the princess”, and then later on, there’s a scene where Syla accuses Vorik of “gaslighting” her. Why would anyone in a fantasy world know what the phrase “gaslighting” means???
There are also way too many scenes where Syla and Vorik talk about cobbler, fruit, and/or baking. Yes, you read that right.
The only saving grace for me was the dragons, who are sarcastic, sassy, and genuinely funny at times. They bumped this up to a 2-star read.
Is this more lighthearted, yes. Is it an actually good plot, no. Will I be continuing with this series, probably not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2026
Vorik : hey I know my brother and my people just killed your whole family but how about that blackberry cobbler and then we can bang after?
Will I continue the series? maybe but these men are written like the disgusting pigs they are
Will I continue the series? maybe but these men are written like the disgusting pigs they are
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2025
ok
I think there’s a lot of depth missing from the book, and the romance feels cheesy and more about lust than love, that works for a lot of people, but with enemy to romance you want to cheer for them and invest in the relationship, I could care less if Syla chooses a new partner in book #2, might make it better, the current one just feels slimey
I think there’s a lot of depth missing from the book, and the romance feels cheesy and more about lust than love, that works for a lot of people, but with enemy to romance you want to cheer for them and invest in the relationship, I could care less if Syla chooses a new partner in book #2, might make it better, the current one just feels slimey
November 27, 2025
Great concept and great banter between characters but it feels a bit odd against such an extreme background of where the MFC has just lost all of her family and the islands she lives in are under attack.
December 2, 2025
Not her usual level of writing. In her other books she made me love the characters. They were so interesting besides witty. So far, I really don’t care about this cast. Not sure if I’ll move on to book two.
February 19, 2026
I finished this last night, so I'm going to try to be somewhat punctual about reviewing instead of waiting months, having no further room on kindle unlimited, and taking a wild guess so that I can punt it off and get something new.
In this book there's a kingdom comprised of a few islands. Everything outside of these islands is a desolate hellscape with scary beasts competing against each other for the right to eat you. Outside of the islands, very little grows. Food is scarce. On the islands, it's an agricultural haven. For some reason, the storm god is the reason for the hellscape and several other gods are responsible for protecting the islands from predators. It seems the gods created some kind of machinery that blocks dragons and I assume other dangerous creatures since no one is readily dying by any other beast. It does not block humans.
For some reason that either wasn't mentioned or I instantly forgot, there are humans outside of the islands are called stormers. They used to live on the islands but no longer do. They want to go back to the islands, but for some reason which is not mentioned or I forgot, they aren't allowed. I found that quite confusing. It's incredibly hard to live off-island. There can't be that many stormers. They are originally from the islands. Why can't they come back to safety and food? Ugh I should open this damn book back up and check.
Okay on page 86:
"Ah, I'll explain briefly. As you're aware, if you've studied history, Your Highness, the stormers never started out as a large cohesive unit. We come from people who were exiled or voluntarily left the protected Garden Kingdom islands in fits and spurts over the centuries. Those who went solo into the dangerous world didn't live long, so many banded together in small tribes, but my ancestors wanted freedom, not to suffer the rule of a king, so nobody sought to set up a central government."
Yada yada yada, things have gotten harder outside of the sky shields (god protection thingies), and there are more predators than prey and shit all to eat, so they want to come back. The faction that wants to do it peacefully apparently had a better time trying to negotiate with the king but then he died, and they were told to fuck off by the queen. The rest of them just keep attacking and stealing from ships when they could just like sneak in and set up camp somewhere or try to negotiate small time with locals instead of going to the queen? The sky shields don't keep humans off the islands. And why is it so bad to let them back in? There aren't loads of them and we're talking smatterings of people over centuries who either left because they wanted to or were exiled. I can understand not letting a known criminal back in if their punishment is exile, but like... It just seems shitty. Also, why did the negotiations with the king fail? What were these guys asking for that was a hard no? Okay you don't want to be ruled by a monarchy, fair, but you also don't want to die of starvation or being eaten alive by some kind of weirdo lizard monster so...
Also, I am not sure why the storm god was able to ruin an entire world and it took like 3 or so other gods to protect a smattering of islands. I do recall that the gods mentioned doing the protecting were like the sun god and the moon god or something, gods one would assume would be stronger than a god of weather. At any rate, not explained or instantly forgotten, and I found that a bit confusing.
The FMC is a princess. The MMC is a stormer dragon rider. I don't really have any major complaints about the dynamic between them. I actually kind of liked that she sort of kind of knew he was lying to her but went with it not entirely because she wanted to bone him but also because maybe she wanted to bone him, and he was super charming with a feasible story, but they lied to each other and tricked each other all the while, sort of like lightheartedly or at least without significant malice. I didn't get the ick from the instalust. I didn't hate either of them or think either were dumb. However, I also didn't really ship them hard. I kept reading because it was an okay story if somewhat lacking in exposition, and I enjoyed the dragons. There were a few sexy bits but nothing long or terribly detailed and graphic, which was a shame, as it usually is.
The dragons are haughty and amusing. There's another book out already, and I may consider reading it if I don't find anything else that piques my interest first, but I'm not like stoked about it. Why am I not reading the book I preordered and was so very much looking forward to? Excellent question. Instead, I go back to KU to see if there are some like only slightly soiled items amongst the heaps of rotting garbage.
In this book there's a kingdom comprised of a few islands. Everything outside of these islands is a desolate hellscape with scary beasts competing against each other for the right to eat you. Outside of the islands, very little grows. Food is scarce. On the islands, it's an agricultural haven. For some reason, the storm god is the reason for the hellscape and several other gods are responsible for protecting the islands from predators. It seems the gods created some kind of machinery that blocks dragons and I assume other dangerous creatures since no one is readily dying by any other beast. It does not block humans.
For some reason that either wasn't mentioned or I instantly forgot, there are humans outside of the islands are called stormers. They used to live on the islands but no longer do. They want to go back to the islands, but for some reason which is not mentioned or I forgot, they aren't allowed. I found that quite confusing. It's incredibly hard to live off-island. There can't be that many stormers. They are originally from the islands. Why can't they come back to safety and food? Ugh I should open this damn book back up and check.
Okay on page 86:
"Ah, I'll explain briefly. As you're aware, if you've studied history, Your Highness, the stormers never started out as a large cohesive unit. We come from people who were exiled or voluntarily left the protected Garden Kingdom islands in fits and spurts over the centuries. Those who went solo into the dangerous world didn't live long, so many banded together in small tribes, but my ancestors wanted freedom, not to suffer the rule of a king, so nobody sought to set up a central government."
Yada yada yada, things have gotten harder outside of the sky shields (god protection thingies), and there are more predators than prey and shit all to eat, so they want to come back. The faction that wants to do it peacefully apparently had a better time trying to negotiate with the king but then he died, and they were told to fuck off by the queen. The rest of them just keep attacking and stealing from ships when they could just like sneak in and set up camp somewhere or try to negotiate small time with locals instead of going to the queen? The sky shields don't keep humans off the islands. And why is it so bad to let them back in? There aren't loads of them and we're talking smatterings of people over centuries who either left because they wanted to or were exiled. I can understand not letting a known criminal back in if their punishment is exile, but like... It just seems shitty. Also, why did the negotiations with the king fail? What were these guys asking for that was a hard no? Okay you don't want to be ruled by a monarchy, fair, but you also don't want to die of starvation or being eaten alive by some kind of weirdo lizard monster so...
Also, I am not sure why the storm god was able to ruin an entire world and it took like 3 or so other gods to protect a smattering of islands. I do recall that the gods mentioned doing the protecting were like the sun god and the moon god or something, gods one would assume would be stronger than a god of weather. At any rate, not explained or instantly forgotten, and I found that a bit confusing.
The FMC is a princess. The MMC is a stormer dragon rider. I don't really have any major complaints about the dynamic between them. I actually kind of liked that she sort of kind of knew he was lying to her but went with it not entirely because she wanted to bone him but also because maybe she wanted to bone him, and he was super charming with a feasible story, but they lied to each other and tricked each other all the while, sort of like lightheartedly or at least without significant malice. I didn't get the ick from the instalust. I didn't hate either of them or think either were dumb. However, I also didn't really ship them hard. I kept reading because it was an okay story if somewhat lacking in exposition, and I enjoyed the dragons. There were a few sexy bits but nothing long or terribly detailed and graphic, which was a shame, as it usually is.
The dragons are haughty and amusing. There's another book out already, and I may consider reading it if I don't find anything else that piques my interest first, but I'm not like stoked about it. Why am I not reading the book I preordered and was so very much looking forward to? Excellent question. Instead, I go back to KU to see if there are some like only slightly soiled items amongst the heaps of rotting garbage.
January 16, 2026
2.5☆ i really wanted to like this book as the synopsis made it sound like something i’d enjoy, and the reviews were raving. however, there were several things that made this one less than satisfactory. which is disappointing, but i truly do not understand how it has an average rating above four stars.
the biggest factor was the pacing. i was instantly pulled in as the book kicked off with so much action! but then, after that, it feels like not much happens. and over half of the book takes place in less than twenty-four hours, which made it feel like it dragged on.
i had a hard time understanding the characters and their motivations. for example, vorik is so set on seducing syla to (deceptively) gain her trust. trust happens before that, my friend. it was just really weird. syla just seems really naive. we’re also told, and supposed to think, she’s kind of quirky but i don’t feel as though that part of her character was truly shown to us (show don’t tell). so it was hard to agree. her character lacked a lot of depth.
i feel like this book also lacked essential world-building. i understand it was supposed to be more entertaining than complex, but it didn’t fully suit the theme and the genre. because WHY are they rebelling against the “gardeners”? and i am confused about where exactly vorik and his people live? in the mountains? in the sky with the dragons? it just didn’t make sense. i didn’t fully understand the magic system nor the dragon bonding system, which are important factors to explain in a new world and story. it sounded interesting and unique, but readers have no idea how any of it even works. if the shields hadn’t been broken for over 1,000 years, how did the people know so much information about the gardeners?
i am just left with a lot of questions the author should have easily been able to answer in her writing.
so while the premise was there, this book was lacking in many vital areas, which i think could have made this a far more enjoyable read. and for that reason, i had to dnf at 75% and move on to something else. i really wanted to love this, but i’m left feeling disappointed and wanting more.
the biggest factor was the pacing. i was instantly pulled in as the book kicked off with so much action! but then, after that, it feels like not much happens. and over half of the book takes place in less than twenty-four hours, which made it feel like it dragged on.
i had a hard time understanding the characters and their motivations. for example, vorik is so set on seducing syla to (deceptively) gain her trust. trust happens before that, my friend. it was just really weird. syla just seems really naive. we’re also told, and supposed to think, she’s kind of quirky but i don’t feel as though that part of her character was truly shown to us (show don’t tell). so it was hard to agree. her character lacked a lot of depth.
i feel like this book also lacked essential world-building. i understand it was supposed to be more entertaining than complex, but it didn’t fully suit the theme and the genre. because WHY are they rebelling against the “gardeners”? and i am confused about where exactly vorik and his people live? in the mountains? in the sky with the dragons? it just didn’t make sense. i didn’t fully understand the magic system nor the dragon bonding system, which are important factors to explain in a new world and story. it sounded interesting and unique, but readers have no idea how any of it even works. if the shields hadn’t been broken for over 1,000 years, how did the people know so much information about the gardeners?
i am just left with a lot of questions the author should have easily been able to answer in her writing.
so while the premise was there, this book was lacking in many vital areas, which i think could have made this a far more enjoyable read. and for that reason, i had to dnf at 75% and move on to something else. i really wanted to love this, but i’m left feeling disappointed and wanting more.
April 19, 2026
I never really thought that I would call a romantasy “cozy,” but this one fits the bill. While this wasn’t the best romantasy I have ever read, it was still a kind of comfort read.
What’s it about? We have a world that is composed of the Garden Kingdom and, well, everything that is not the Garden Kingdom. Princess Syla is an heir to this kingdom, but, being the youngest of many children, she pursues her life as a healer rather than dealing with royal politics. That is, until the kingdom is attacked by outsiders, the Stormers who struggle through life in the wild and dangerous places of the world, and Syla finds herself the only living heir to the Garden Kingdom and the only one alive who can activate the shields that keep the kingdom safe.
So, onto my review. The setting, though simple, is great. As a gardener, I love the idea of a peaceful kingdom, brimming with fruits, that is based on agriculture. Like I said, it felt cozy to me. I also liked the premise that the kingdom is protected by a magical shield. It kind of had Velaris vibes.
The characterization and character development I also mostly liked. Syla is likable and relatable with her glasses and less than perfect figure. Our main Stormer, Captain Vorik, is funny and comedic in his love of fruit. The main issue I had was the fact that Syla really didn’t seem too phased by the deaths of her entire family, and, well, that just felt odd.
The dialogue and pacing of the story also needed some work. Dialogue that is too long makes readers bored, and that happens a bit here. The pacing in the first half is a bit slow because of all the conversations and explanations, though that does get better in the last 100 or so pages.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the book. It had interesting Princess Bride vibes with all the built-in comedy. I know I gave it three stars, but it is a high three stars… like 3.75? It is not ACOTAR, but it is also not bad.
3(.75) stars
What’s it about? We have a world that is composed of the Garden Kingdom and, well, everything that is not the Garden Kingdom. Princess Syla is an heir to this kingdom, but, being the youngest of many children, she pursues her life as a healer rather than dealing with royal politics. That is, until the kingdom is attacked by outsiders, the Stormers who struggle through life in the wild and dangerous places of the world, and Syla finds herself the only living heir to the Garden Kingdom and the only one alive who can activate the shields that keep the kingdom safe.
So, onto my review. The setting, though simple, is great. As a gardener, I love the idea of a peaceful kingdom, brimming with fruits, that is based on agriculture. Like I said, it felt cozy to me. I also liked the premise that the kingdom is protected by a magical shield. It kind of had Velaris vibes.
The characterization and character development I also mostly liked. Syla is likable and relatable with her glasses and less than perfect figure. Our main Stormer, Captain Vorik, is funny and comedic in his love of fruit. The main issue I had was the fact that Syla really didn’t seem too phased by the deaths of her entire family, and, well, that just felt odd.
The dialogue and pacing of the story also needed some work. Dialogue that is too long makes readers bored, and that happens a bit here. The pacing in the first half is a bit slow because of all the conversations and explanations, though that does get better in the last 100 or so pages.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the book. It had interesting Princess Bride vibes with all the built-in comedy. I know I gave it three stars, but it is a high three stars… like 3.75? It is not ACOTAR, but it is also not bad.
3(.75) stars
December 12, 2025
Wow, Buroker certainly throws us into the action quickly in this one. I’ve read a large amount of her books now and I’ve enjoyed all of them, Sky Shielder is no exception.
We follow Princess Syla and right from word go she’s in trouble! Her home is under attack, the magical shield protecting it destroyed. So what’s a girl to do? She’s off on a mission to repair it. We also get pov chapters from her “enemy,” Vorik the dragon rider.
I enjoyed Syla’s character. She’s described as chubby/voluptuous and has terrible eye sight. It could have been over done but it wasn’t harped upon, it just was part of the story which was a pleasant change from a lot of these romantasy characters.
Buroker’s characters are always well developed and unique and I loved the return of snarky, sarcastic dragons. Even though I like the other characters, the dragons 100% carry this one for me. Also I’d like to see more of the world, the world building we got was intriguing. I’d like to see more of the world outside the shields in particular.
I think my favourite books from Buroker’s catalogue have been the slower burns (I’m looking at you Death Before Dragons). Skyshielder has more of a borderline insta lust kind of thing going on, things happen pretty fast especially when we look at the timeframe of the story and I must admit that isn’t my favourite trope.
Overall I really enjoyed it. Skyshielder is a good additional to the Buroker catalogue and I’ll be reading the next book soon. I think it’s a duology so shorter than some of her other series.
We follow Princess Syla and right from word go she’s in trouble! Her home is under attack, the magical shield protecting it destroyed. So what’s a girl to do? She’s off on a mission to repair it. We also get pov chapters from her “enemy,” Vorik the dragon rider.
I enjoyed Syla’s character. She’s described as chubby/voluptuous and has terrible eye sight. It could have been over done but it wasn’t harped upon, it just was part of the story which was a pleasant change from a lot of these romantasy characters.
Buroker’s characters are always well developed and unique and I loved the return of snarky, sarcastic dragons. Even though I like the other characters, the dragons 100% carry this one for me. Also I’d like to see more of the world, the world building we got was intriguing. I’d like to see more of the world outside the shields in particular.
I think my favourite books from Buroker’s catalogue have been the slower burns (I’m looking at you Death Before Dragons). Skyshielder has more of a borderline insta lust kind of thing going on, things happen pretty fast especially when we look at the timeframe of the story and I must admit that isn’t my favourite trope.
Overall I really enjoyed it. Skyshielder is a good additional to the Buroker catalogue and I’ll be reading the next book soon. I think it’s a duology so shorter than some of her other series.
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