Entombed

by Ariel N. Anderson

From the author of the viral, bestselling #bestofbooktok dark romantic tragedy "Under Your Scars" comes an all-new heartbreaking tale.

Elowen has spent her life beneath the shadow of a cruel village, where compassion is forbidden and dragons are nothing more than a page in history.

But deep in the heart of the mountain, the last dragon remains, forged in fire and war with an unwavering disdain for the rot of humans.

Both crave the same to be chosen. What unfolds is an unlikely love story where its legacy transcends the ages.

In this fantasy retelling of the classic ballet Swan Lake, a fierce beast learns to love gently; but love is no shield against cruelty.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Romantasy, Romance, Dark, Dark Fantasy, Tragedy

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2026

About the author

Ariel Anderson is a native Texan enjoying a simple life with her husband, her cats, and her dog. Ariel graduated from the University of North Texas with a Criminal Justice degree. When she is not putting her characters through soul-crushing trauma, Ariel enjoys playing video games and drinking an unhealthy amount of Mountain Dew.

email: author@arielandersonauthor.com

Agent: Nikki Groom @ SBR Media

Reviews

[ya.vl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Несправедливо це все, дуже несправедливо 😭
Авторка зробила так шо ми тут тішимось від того які вони солодкі а в кінці…
Я справді всю книгу не могла ними натішитись, тут така любов😍 справжня, чиста, без всього зайвого 🥹 вони просто сонечка обоє. Я так захоплювалась ними протягом читання. Всі слова, всі думки. Боже мій, ну це було вааау.
Гарно написано, трохи по стилю писання нагадало мені “The scattered bones” там теж так поетично написано.
Неймовірна історія, неймовірні герої але такий сумний і несправедливий кінець😭
Ше скажу, це таке лайтове фентезі, тут нема нічого аж аж, тут все максимально просто, без зайвого. Тут більше про сім’ю і любов❤️

• «Він вирішив, що Еловен тепер стала частиною його життя — його голодом і його скарбом. Не чимось, що треба спожити, а чимось, що треба берегти. Чимось, що треба захищати. Чимось, перед чим треба схилятися.» 🥹

• «— Ти — сама краса, — сказав він їй.
— Красива? — запитала вона, виправляючи його слововживання.
— Ні. Ти — Краса. Ти — усе прекрасне в цьому нікчемному світі. Мій найдорожчий скарб. Моя Еловен.»

Під час всієї книги наш дракон ставився з такою неймовірною любов’ю до Еловен. Він беріг її і цінував як найдорожчий скарб. Все робив заради неї. І дбав в першу чергу за свою сім’ю. 🥹💔

[ᴀɴɴᴀ. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5⭐️
кінець дуже не справедливий💔

[Yuliia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Це так лірично, чуттєво й поетично написано 💔

Історія розповідає про останнього живого дракона Мідаса та Еловен - дівчину, яка відрізняється від суспільства, в якому виросла, - і про їхнє кохання в ізоляції. Це схоже на стару казку.

Дуже гарно описані їхні почуття.

«— Ти — сама краса, — сказав він їй.
— Красива? — запитала вона, виправляючи його слововживання.
— Ні. Ти — Краса. Ти — усе прекрасне в цьому нікчемному світі. Мій найдорожчий скарб. Моя Еловен».

«Ти — мій скарб, Еловен. Мій вогонь. Моє життя. Мій дім, — сказав Мідас своєю рідною мовою. — Я не знаю ваших слів достатньо добре, щоб зрозуміти, як це роблять люди, але я знаю, що роблять дракони. Ти не дракон, але я — твій, і тому я пропоную тобі цей камінь єдності, бо не можу віддати тобі своє серце, що б’ється».

Сюжет доволі простий, але дуже захопливий. Стиль написання сумний, гірко-солодкий і меланхолійний.

«Усе так ідеально зараз. Іноді я хочу, щоб час зупинився саме тут».
💔

Але Аріель знає, як вирвати серце ♥️ Це трагічний роман, кінцівка якого чіпляє глибоко й боляче.

[Scarlett Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Ariel N. Anderson for the ARC copy!

As a shifter story, this earns 4 stars.

Entombed is an emotional, character-driven story following Midas and Elowen, whose relationship unfolds in isolation. The bond between them is genuinely touching, and their emotional journeys felt authentic and heartfelt.

The writing is beautiful and immersive, with a tone that leans sad and bittersweet rather than offering a traditional happily-ever-after. Much like UYS, that melancholic atmosphere added weight to the story and made many scenes especially impactful.

While the emotional depth and character dynamics were definite highlights, the pacing occasionally felt uneven. Some moments came across as slightly rushed or overly convenient, and certain descriptive elements felt very repetitive at times.

Overall, Entombed shines as an emotional, poignant romance with strong character work and a memorable bittersweet tone. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy slower, introspective stories, dragon shifters, and romances that leave a lasting emotional impression.

Tropes / Elements:
Dragon shifter
Protective MMC
Last of his kind
Touch her and die
Swan Lake retelling
Forbidden love

[Déirdre · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨️ARC Review ✨️
Publication date: 24th February 2026

✔️Dual POV
✔️Dragon shifter
✔️Friends to lovers
✔️Pregnancy
✔️Touch her and die

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I went into this expecting a version of today's typical fantasy but it actually reads like an old fairytale. It truly was a beautiful story and my heart was broken in the end - Ariel Anderson knows how to break us.
The story follows the last dragon left on earth who, after 100 years of being treated badly by humans and developing a deep rooted hatred for them, began to form a friendship with a poor girl from the village. It is a beautiful tale about quiet love and motherhood. The last 30% was a deeply emotional read, so readers be warned. And read the triggers before you start into this. Thank you Ariel for sending me this copy. I really enjoyed it, heartbreak and all!

[BookshelfKisses · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I wish I could speak your words, I truly do, but you don’t need to teach me your words to share them with me. I understand you in different ways. It’s like a language we have all to ourselves. Isn’t that beautiful?”

I had the honor of receiving an ARC of Entombed and what a beautiful, devastating little story this turned out to be.💔
This is a mythic romantic tragedy about the last living dragon and a human, both lonely and misunderstood, who ultimately find their way to each other. This is something I wouldn’t normally read, yet it completely surprised me. It is told in third person and the opening felt like someone softly reading me a bedtime fairy tale.👀 The writing style pulled me in from the very start. It felt lyrical and dreamy and I really loved it.

And then the ending… Ariel N. Anderson knows how to end a book. The ending was utterly heartbreaking and I felt so sad. Not quite Under Your Scars levels of emotional destruction and I didn’t completely sob this time, but it was still deeply achingly sad in a way that stays with you after you close the book.

I’m rating this 3.5/4 stars, though I honestly don’t know exactly how to rate this book. It was SO beautiful and tragic, but it also felt a bit weird sometimes? And for such a short book, it felt somewhat repetitive, especially in the beginning. But I really did enjoy it! I kept wanting to read on and I flew through it!

I think that this is a story that may not fully work for everyone, but one that still manages to leave a mark. 🐉💔

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Ariel Anderson writes it, it’s an automatic read for me. After reading and loving her incredibly gut wrenching and beautiful debut novel ‘Under Your Scars’, rating every book of hers since is always a struggle for me. No book, including ones written by Ariel Anderson herself, have buried into my soul the way Under Your Scars did

This one was especially hard to rate because I liked it, I really did. And of course the ending made me cry because it was sad. Not gut wrenching, heartbreaking, soul crushing, tragically sad like Under Your Scars, but sad in a bittersweet sad way that was beautifully executed.

I do wish that this book was a tad longer and more detailed in a way that makes me feel more attached to the characters. I like the short chapters but I think it was the shorter paragraphs that made it seem a little rushed.

I also think that my issue is that fantasy just might not be this author’s best genre. Or maybe it’s just me. I’d love so much to see more dark romantic tragedy books like Under Your Scars with spice and intense, emotional relationships with a knockout storyline. Too much to ask??? Maybe. Will I keep reading Ariel Anderson’s books no matter what genre they are? Absolutely.

[sambavi (semi-ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 ★

Entombed is a Swan Lake retelling following the story of Midas, our dragon MMC, who is the last of his kind and despises humanity for not only killing all the dragons but for the cruel, abrasive nature they hold towards the unfamiliar and each other. He encounters Elowen, our healer FMC who inhabits a village near where resides, and the two feel an immediate connection due to her kind, curious nature for the unfamiliar. The two have an unlikely encounter at a lake near the village and continue to meet and develop a deep bond that the reader can see runs strong and carries forth the plot for this story.

“This creature, this majestic, powerful thing— was a survivor. A relic of the old world. Unwelcome. Misunderstood. Just like her.”

I thought their relationship was adorable. She NAMED him Midas and it was the cutest thing. The interactions were so sweet to me as the two of them learn about the practices and languages of their respective species, trying to bridge that gap to understand each other. I could see this story not appealing to everyone due to the dragon shifter x human nature of the couple. I absolutely love dragons and the descriptive writing from the author’s always hooked me to their work. I loved getting to learn about each character, they both endure their own tragic backstories and manage to find a semblance of safety with each other, home as they refer to each other.

True to the retelling and the disclaimer of the story, it is a tragedy. It honestly hurt seeing all the turmoil Midas had gone through in centuries of isolation due to being the last of his kind, and struggling to come to trust and love Elose due to being human. In that same sense it was also hard seeing Elose being shamed by her village for her fascination for things outside of conventional norms (looking at you Elose’s dad…) The story does wrap up beautifully and it was a quick, heartfelt read carried forward by the relationship of Elose and Midas.

Overall it was an enjoyable read. I found it predictable in the course of plot because of familiarity of Swan Lake. I did love the pacing, it was quick and the progression of their relationship is rather fast. My rating was primarily influenced by the fact I’m not too big into pregnancy tropes in shifter romances? which is a bias for me but something I feel could be important for readers to know going into this.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading an advanced copy of a book that was just released on February 24th called, Entombed. This is about Elowen, she lives in a village where pretty much anything that sparks joy is illegal, kindness is forbidden, and everyone is living in poverty. Elowen and her father are the village healers, her only escape from this life is her trips to the forest to collect herbs and ingredients for healing people. The humans say that dragons are vicious beasts, but Elowen doesn't believe those stories about dragons. When she encounters a dragon in the forest, they hesitantly form an unlikely friendship. The dragon hates humans because of the cruelty they have shown his kind, and now he is the only dragon left alive. But when he meets Elowen he sees she is not like those terrible humans. She is compassionate, soft, and genuinely good. Both feeling alone and misunderstood in this cruel world, they find comfort and peace in each other's presence.
This dark romantic tragedy was a Swan Lake retelling. It felt like reading an old fairytale and it was so beautifully written. *Make sure to check trigger warnings before reading* I did not expect to cry while reading a dragon shifter story, but this had me tearing up, I got so emotionally attached to these characters. Reading this felt like a movie, the way she wrote this story came alive in my mind, I felt like I was a part of the story not just reading it. I don't know what Ariel puts in her books but I am always so utterly captivated by them; they always tug at my heartstrings and make me feel so deeply for the characters she writes and the stories she creates. I really enjoyed the devastatingly beautiful journey of this story and the message behind it, this is a book that will stay with me for a long time. 🤎📚

Thank you to the author and her team for this ARC of Entombed, in exchange for an honest review.

[Gabrielle Belanger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of Entombed!

Rating : 4.5 ⭐

Entombed follows Midas (MMC) and Elowen (FMC), brought together in isolation, where survival, connection, and quiet moments matter more than action. As they spend time together, their bond deepens and both the MMC and FMC go through a really touching emotional evolution.

This is a pretty simple story in terms of plot and action, but I found it really captivating. It’s very easy to read and I flew through it. The tone is overall sad and bittersweet rather than a traditional happily-ever-after, which made it feel even more emotional to me.

I also loved the message behind the story, that we don’t need much to appreciate life, and that being surrounded by people we love can make even the hardest situations meaningful 🖤

Tropes / elements:
🐉 Dragon shifter
🛡️ Protective MMC
🖤 Last of his kind
⚔️ Touch her and die
🦢 Swan Lake retelling
🌙 Forbidden love

I’d recommend this to readers who enjoy emotional, character-driven stories, slower pacing, and bittersweet romances ✨

[Stephanie Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I DID NOT EXPECT IT TO END THAT WAY! :(

[Andrea Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️
Thank you so much to Ariel N. Anderson for the ARC copy!

First of all, I want to start by saying that even though this was beautifully written, just like the other works I've read by this author have been, it was a bit hard for me to get into because I'd never read anything like this before. There were so many emotional and cute moments were tears were shed, especially with that ending 💔💔
Both characters were amazing; Midas was adorable in the first chapters after meeting Elowen and I loved the moments when he was trying to learn how to speak her language. And Elowen, oh my gosh, I really loved her and her character overall.

Even if there were so many good things about this, there were also a lot of things that were just...eh. Like when Midas would shift, the scales on his arms and chest were mentioned SO MANY TIMES, like we get it 😭. Also, some things were just like too convenient in some moments and I feel like it was a bit rushed in a few parts.

But overall, I get how this would be an amazing story for people who are fans of dragons, shifter romances, and tragic romances. It's not something I'd usually pick up but Ariel N. Anderson just writes so beautifully that I'd read anything by her.

[Kyra Legault · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ (rounded up)

Firstly thank you Ariel N. Anderson for this ARC, I was so honoured to be apart of your ARC team.

Ahhh, this one is a hard review for me to write. It’s tough putting out a mediocre review for an author whose past work I’ve really loved.

I absolutely loved Under Your Scars, but this is a very different kind of story and it just didn’t end up being the right fit for me personally. The writing is still beautiful. She has such a talent for pulling emotion out of her characters and creating that deep, heartfelt connection I usually crave in a romance.

That said, I’ve never read a shifter story before, and this one leaned heavily into that world. Even in human form, the dragon elements were always present, and I just had a hard time fully buying into the concept. Their relationship had a lot of depth, and the love between them was genuinely sweet and thoughtfully written, but I couldn’t fully get past the human and dragon pairing aspect.

I think it’s always a little harder when you go in expecting to love something because of how much you adored an author’s previous work, and then it turns out to be completely different.

If you enjoy shifter romances and emotionally open, vulnerable characters, I can definitely see why others would love this. It just wasn’t my cup of tea this time.

[micolreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25 ⭐

[IsItSmut · Rating 5 out of 5]

My honest ARC review.

I was a beta reader for this but didn’t really know in which direction this book was going to go until I actually received my arc copy. *spoiler alert* it’s a non HEA and there’s no spice. It’s rare for me to enjoy a book where there’s no smut involved but I actually wanted to keep reading this. There were so many instances throughout the story line where I felt like ok this is it what could go wrong. And bam! I loved Midas’s fierce protectiveness over Elowen. The way they both loved each other without prejudice, just two beings who defied the odds on their love and what it looks like to truly love someone. Idk if Ariel has a kink for hurting her readers but it sure does feel like it. And I guess I’m a masochist because I keep coming back for more.

[Amaia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝔂. 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓸𝓯 𝓫𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝔂 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝔀𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭. 𝓜𝔂 𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓮. 𝓜𝔂 𝓔𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓷.”

Thank you to Ariel N. Anderson for once again ripping my heart out in the best possible way. Entombed absolutely destroyed me, and I genuinely don’t think anything I say will fully capture how much I loved this book 😭😭😭

Ariel has this way of writing that completely immerses you in every single scene. You don’t just read the emotions, you feel them. Whether it’s something soft and beautiful or completely gut-wrenching, it seeps into you. After reading Under Your Scars and Delilah, she’s officially become one of my auto-read authors because I just know she’s going to make me feel everything.

Entombed was both breathtaking and heartbreaking. By the time I reached 35%, I had already lost count of how many times I had bawled my eyes out, and I’m not someone who cries easily (except when I’m reading a book). I was so emotionally invested that before I knew it, the book was over, and I was just sitting there trying to process it all 🙂‍↕️

“𝓘 𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓵 𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓴𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓫𝓾𝓻𝓷 𝓸𝓾𝓽.”

Elowen has such a gentle, beautiful soul. It was painful to read about how cruel her own people were to her. I truly hated the villagers who refused to co-exist and the way the wealthy exploited and terrorized the poor. It felt so unfair and so real in its own way. The connection between Elowen and the last dragon was EVERYTHING!!! He had been alone for centuries, and when they found each other, it felt like two lost souls finally seeing and understanding one another. They protected each other, loved each other, and even in their pain, they found comfort in that bond 😭❤️

“𝓘 𝔀𝓲𝓼𝓱 𝓘 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓼, 𝓘 𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓵𝔂 𝓭𝓸, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓭𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱 𝓶𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓶𝓮. 𝓘 𝓾𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓲𝓷 𝓭𝓲𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼. 𝓘𝓽’𝓼 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓪 𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓾𝓪𝓰𝓮 𝔀𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓸 𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓿𝓮𝓼. 𝓘𝓼𝓷’𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓫𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓲𝓯𝓾𝓵?”

Even though their story was tragic, their love felt rare and unforgettable. And Kalen and Auric… I don’t even have words 😭

Entombed is a retelling of Swan Lake, but Ariel gives it such a raw and brutal edge. She doesn’t shy away from showing how cruel people can be when they fear what they don’t understand. The way she portrayed prejudice, fear, and blind hatred was powerful and unsettling in the best way.

“𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓷’𝓽 𝓵𝓮𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓯𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓴 𝓵𝓸𝓾𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮.”

Even though it’s fiction, the message lingers long after you finish. Kindness should never have to be demanded. Just because you don’t understand someone doesn’t mean you have the right to harm them. Everyone deserves the chance to exist as they are.

“𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓼 𝓼𝓸 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓮𝓬𝓽 𝓷𝓸𝔀. 𝓢𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮𝓼 𝓘 𝔀𝓲𝓼𝓱 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓹 𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮.”

And that last line… someone really needs to hand me tissues coz I was not okay!!! 😭

[Magpie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is in a title? A title is a preface to the media you're about to consume, a thesis statement and often your first impression on a body of work. Throughout this whole book I didn't understand the title, that is until the VERY end. It's the first time I've seen a title be used as a warning. A one word explanation of what happens to our beloved characters, they are literally entombed.

"Love is no shield against cruelty"; it's the tagline of the book and I missed it. in fact I went in as blind as possible.. If I had seen it, maybe I would've been more prepared for what was going to happen. It was sometime after Elowen's family had been attacked, that I got the sinking feeling that there was no happy ending. I was right, though I wish I hadn't been.

Elowen is kind and gentle and befriends the last dragon that she names Midas. They have two children, Kalen and Auric, and all they want to do is live together in peace. But humans are cruel and destroy anything they're scared of or don't understand, and they slaughter this tiny family for the unforgivable crime of existing. It's so senseless and cruel, and Midas slowly starves to death while cradling their broken bodies. It's just so sad.

It's hard to know how to rate something so beautiful and heartbreaking. There aren't tat many dark moments compared to all the good. I simply don't know what to say, I'm utterly wrecked by this book. There were so many parts I could've stopped reading and been ignorant of the end. But I didn't stop, I kept going to the bitter end.

[Destiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC for this, but will try not to contain any spoilers in this review.

This book follows the folklore “Swan Lake” which is a known ballet to many people, however, I was not really accustomed to this ballet, so I went in this story completely blind, without knowing the story it followed.

This story follows a Dragon, who is still left in the world after humans destroyed them, from long ago. However, he has refuge in a cave near this one village. From this village, there is a woman who goes into the forest, because she is a healer, and collects ingredients to create salves and ointments, etc.

One day, she spots the dragon, and instead of being scared, she is curious, because she knows that dragons should no longer exist. At the same time, the dragon is also curious, because he sees her as a human, who destroyed everything he had ever loved, but yet, she is different.

This story follows along the human, Elowen, and the dragon, as they start to figure more out about each other.

***This book made me laugh, giggle, cry, and made my heart pound so hard, I was ready to go to the ER. I read this book in 6 hours, and wish I could reread it again and again, without knowing the whole story and how it ends ***

[Christina Lyons (irb_beach_girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I was not ready for this AT ALL!
First, thank you Ariel N. Anderson for the opportunity to read an advanced reading copy of your book!
I'm not sure what even just happened to me. I went into this book thinking "oh the author says it's a fairytale retelling, no big deal". Um...yeah. Well, in classic Ariel N. Anderson fashion, this was written so beautifully, so fluently, and with its very own characters, tale and twists. I absolutely love the FMC and MMC and all they were to each other. This story has a classic slow burn start and then suddenly I found that I was so absorbed but I didn't even know it. The storyline itself was beautiful and twisting and I didn't see any of it coming. I have no words.
This is not a spicy romance, this is truly a beautifully tragic love story, retold in such a way that I completely forgot what I was reading and got lost in the world created.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

~Arc Review~
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

~Entombed~Ariel N Anderson~

“I shall love you until long after all the stars in the skies burn out.”

♡Never in a million years did I see myself crying over a folklore retelling but leave it up to Ariel to have me sobbing at the end. Entombed follows the last dragon in existence after his home, family, & everything he knew was destroyed by humans. After finding safety in a cave outside of a small village the dragon crosses paths with a woman human healer named Elowen who fights every day to stay alive. The dragon soon starts to realize that she is different from the humans that burned his home & realizes that she needs him to save her more then ever.

If you enjoy dragons, shapeshifting, & folklore look no further. Entombed follows the folklore "Swan Lake" which is a very popular ballet.♡

~As Always Happy Reading~

[Tohfaaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC read

4⭐
reading this book feel like reading childhood bedtime story. even thou i knew it’s not happy ending i loved this book so much. i loved this characters. i went thro so much emotions while reading this book. Elowen and midas was so precious. They deserve so much from the world. Elowen was different from of human and Midas my sweet dragon shifter. the way there love story written broke my heart. I love them so much.

thank you Ariel N. Anderson for the arc. 🥹🥹

[Kit Ragefück · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ariel N. Anderson, you got me again. You're now 3/3 for turning me into a crybaby.

This author slowly weaves this story that makes you just... love these characters...


My heart hurts for Elowen and Midas. For Kalen and Auric.

[Amanda Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know what to say 😭. Overall a really good easy reader if you like shifter romance. This will also ruin you.

[Anna Malysheva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is written so beautifully ❤️

It’s a story about how two lonely souls found each other.
He is the last living dragon; she is a girl whose worldview is radically different from the cruel society she lives in.

It’s a very tender love story - I was simply melting while reading it.
The way the MMC treats the FMC, with such tenderness and care, the way he cherishes her, the sacrifices he makes for her…

The ending broke my heart. I was so deeply immersed in this story that I was crying by the end 😭

I absolutely love the way Ariel N. Anderson writes tragic stories 💔

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from Author

I enjoy going into stories blind, because I love to truly be engrossed into the stories without any kind of spoilers. Ariel is amazing at making you feel things. I was there for the Suffering, Love, Heartache, hate and Much more. I was definitely not prepared for the ending. Entombed is well worth the read!

[Nichole Bunnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely don't have the right words to describe Ariel N. Anderson's writing style. There is something about the way she writes thats almost entrancing, like it’s a spell and she’s the powerful caster. It's immersive without trying too hard. Emotional without being heavy-handed. You don't just read it - you feel it, you live it in your own way.

Entombed is a story about grief, prejudice, healing, and choosing love even when history tells you not to. It's emotional, romantic, and quietly powerful in the way it explores connection between two souls who should have been enemies.

Midas is the last Dragon, left alone after humans wiped out his entire pride. What remains in him is grief sharpened into anger - and a deep, justified hatred for humankind.

Elowen is the black sheep of her village. She lives quietly, bound by suffocating rules that feel more like a prison sentence than protection. With no affection from her only remaining family - her father - she has learned to survive on her own.

When these two cross paths, something unexpected happens. Not chaos. Not destruction. A friendship.

This beautiful, tragic story shows what happens when two misunderstood beings choose each other, time and again. For it’s better to have lived and loved than to live and not love at all.

The emotional rollercoaster in this story is one I would absolutely ride again. Watching two beings from completely different worlds learn how to communicate, how to trust, and how to slowly let their guards down was beautiful to witness. Their connection doesn't feel rushed - it feels earned.

If you love slow-burn bonds, wounded characters, and romance rooted in emotional intimacy, this one deserves a spot on your list.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now for some of my favorite quotes-and not really but possible spoilers so ima make you work for it 🫶🏼🥹
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
"The last dragon lived alone for nearly a century"

"I shall love you until long after all the stars in the skies burn out." That line alone. Devastating in the best way.”

"She may not have dragon blood in her veins, but she is still dragon. She is... the very foundation of this family. From her heart and body came a new era of dragons. You. Us. I would endure it all again if I knew she was waiting for me at the end."

[Susan (Purplegalaxyreads94) · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I’d like to thank Ariel N. Anderson for the gifted eARC copy of Entombed in exchange for my honest and spoiler free review!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Thoughts:
Wow….just wow! This author is new to me in the sense of having only read two of her works before reading this one and let me just say that I absolutely adore this author and her way of creating such beautiful worlds in her stories. This world was completely different and new as it is fantasy but let me just say that I was immediately drawn in by it for so many different reasons.

Not only did I love it because it had dragons and is a fantasy retelling of Swan Lake…but just the way the story was told felt so nostalgic in a way. This story was told like a very old, classic tale that I used to love when I was a child. The world building as the story telling definitely brought a feeling of comfort and familiarity as I got to learn about a story of a girl and a dragon that learned love along the way.

From the dark, cold atmosphere of the village to the magical world of the forest painted such a beautiful visual in my mind. Learning the story of the dragons and seeing how the last of its kind came to find a girl who should fear him, yet doesn’t in the slightest made for such a sweet story of acceptance. Watching how Elowen and the dragon (you will learn his name when you read for yourself!) come to terms with being friends and the way they both protect one another made for such a heartwarming story that I didn’t want to end.

Seeing their life play out in a way that was both beautiful yet heartbreaking definitely did things to my heart that I never thought a book about dragons could. I also felt like I related to the book a lot, especially about dragons and how the things they want in life to make life worth living can simply be just one person…if it’s the right person.. to become that home for them. Having a very small inner circle myself, I felt really connected to that and I couldn’t help but just fall in love with this book. I definitely want to buy a physical copy of it once it is available!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from 3.5 stars.

ARC review.
A Haunting, Tender Fairy Tale with Bite
Entombed is a lyrical, melancholic retelling of Swan Lake, re imagined as a slow-burn, sort of enemies to lovers romance between Elowen, a gentle healer trapped in a cruel village, and Midas, the last dragon.
This is a story of loneliness, survival, and the fragile trust that blooms between two outcasts,one human, one beast.
I loved Midas his perspective. It was heartbreaking! Surviving a genocide, consumed by grief and fury. His hoarding isn’t just about greed, it’s about clinging to remnants of a world that’s gone. The way he watches Elowen from the shadows, slowly learning to trust. There is a great balance between feral instincts and his yearning for gentleness.
Elowen is the opposite to Midas. Where he is fire and fury, she is water and warmth. Elowen is a very compassionate character. Elowen is as lonely as Midas is due to the nature of the village she lives in. Elowen didn't judge Midas when she meets him, she finds the gorgeousness in his monster.
The lack of open-door sex (despite the heavy themes) works because this isn’t that kind of story. Their connection is built on trust, not lust. The way he shifts for her, brings her food, and hoards things for her is incredibly romantic in a feral, dragon way. Their communication barriers make their bond feel earned.
While the themes are dark the writing style feels more YA than adult. This isn’t a bad thing, but it softens the impact of the grimmer elements. The pacing drags a bit in the middle, with long stretches of Midas watching Elowen or Elowen gathering herbs, which could have been tightened to heighten the tension.
Furthermore I would have loved to know a bit more about the village. Why are they so cruel. Why do they think that softness or kindness is a bad thing. Did something happen in the past that caused this?

[Nonfictionally Yours · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But then Midas roared. It cracked stone. It shook the mountain itself, triggering an avalanche of snow and rocks that sealed the entrance from the world."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Firstly, thank you so much Ariel N. Anderson for letting me reading this early🩷 it was an honor.

Entombed has literally carved itself into my soul. Just thinking about the story brings out so many emotions in me. This is by no means a HEA, so please go into this reading your trigger warnings, as it's a dark read.

Ariel has managed to capture the brutality and cruelty of people in power when they are faced with an entity that they don't understand, so perfectly. Whether it poses a threat to them, or not, this read showed to refusal of our kind to co exist with dragons. Midas, is the last dragon that's left after the humans wiped out their kind. He was written so precisely, with the way he was learning to understand things for Elowen and his kindness despite the humans having aided the extinctions of all dragon kind. My heart felt so full reading his POVs, he was so innocent and gentle.

Elowen was shown disdain from her own village and was treated with cruelty just for interacting with a dragon. Her loyalty towards Midas was unwavering and truly admirable. Her kindness and empathy towards him was portrayed so well. She is one of them best FMCs I've read about. The story hooks you right from the very first page and you just want to know more and more. The writing was so beautifully done, and the plot added on to it and made it the most perfect story ever. Just thinking about it will make me cry, but I think every reader needs to read this atleast once🩷. This love story is truly one to rival the stars.

[Alannah McSorley · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW:

All my reviews are completely honest, so what I am going to write might not make sense at some points but is truly coming from the heart.

Ariel is a fantastic writer! She writes in a way that is easy to follow and understand. In this one she did not let us down!

The chapters were from the perspective of both main characters but it wasn’t difficult to navigate. It just made sense to their story.

This book starts off with the FMC living in a village where she is malnourished and ignored, even though she provides the village with so much care.

Our MMC has been alone for hundreds of years due to events that had taken place before the book, but was described.

Each of the main characters gives the other what they have been missing. FMC loves and supports the MMC, and in return she is seen and protected.

They are challenged through out the book when they are trying to navigate the complexities of their relationship and the cruelty from the outside world.

How this book ends had be gasping. It was not something I was expecting and that happened so sudden. Which is extremely symbolic on how this connects to how the MMC would have felt. It is truly devastating !

Ariel is the mastermind behind Under Your Scars. When you mention pancakes it will trigger some people. I am here to say this book will hurt more. It will rip out your heart and flush it down the toilet.

But, that is what makes this book so beautiful. You are going on this journey with the characters that you learn to love them.

When I say you must read this.. I don’t just say this because I’m an ARC reader. I am extremely honest and will say which I don’t connect with a book. But this.. is another masterpiece and you won’t be disappointed !!!