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First Flight: A Reverse Harem Dragon Rider Academy Romance
I came to the Tombs to tend to the dead.
I left the Awakening Ceremony with four dragons that were never supposed to wake.
Seven years I’ve worked the deep levels of Dragonfall Academy — feeding dragons, cleaning roosts, tending the memorial fires where no one else will go. Ground crew. Invisible. The daughter of a dead war hero with calloused hands and nothing to her name but a uniform that smells like dragon musk.
The whispers started when I was a child. Voices in the Tombs, pressing against my mind like grief that isn’t mine. I learned to ignore them. I learned to keep my head down. I learned that no one notices the girl who cleans the bones.
Then four ancient war dragons — Elderwyrms, classified extinct for two centuries — woke from their vaults. The academy selected its four best cadets for the historic bonding. I was assigned to mop the floor.
Bastian — the golden heir with wind in his blood and five generations of legacy crumbling at his feet.
Leander — the scarred strategist whose cold precision cracked the night he realized I wasn’t looking away.
Sable — the healer whose steady hands put me back together every time the academy tried to break me.
Orion — the dangerous outcast from the border who saw what I was before I knew it myself.
The Elderwyrms flew past every candidate without a glance.
They landed around me. Four dragons that should be dead. Four cadets who should hate me. And the academy assigned them all to my wing.
The deeper I go into the Tombs, the louder the dead become. The whispers aren’t random… they’re voices. Spirit dragons, grieving for centuries without anyone to hear them. And someone sealed the evidence of why.
Two hundred years of names. Two hundred years of murder. And my mother’s name on the final page.
First Flight is a scorching fantasy why choose romance featuring dragon riders, a military academy carved into a mile-deep gorge, rivals-to-lovers tension, a fierce underdog heroine, a cliffhanger ending, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after for the series. Book 1 of the Dragonfall Academy series.
Perfect for readers who
• Dragon rider academies with deadly stakes
• Why choose romance with four devoted love interests
• Rivals-to-lovers tension that catches fire
• A fierce underdog heroine who reads dragons better than people
• “Touch her and die” — but the Elderwyrms get there first
• Military conspiracies and forbidden tombs
• Found family forged in dragonfire
• Gothic atmosphere and spirit dragon lore
• Slow burn that detonates
• HEA for readers who want it all
I left the Awakening Ceremony with four dragons that were never supposed to wake.
Seven years I’ve worked the deep levels of Dragonfall Academy — feeding dragons, cleaning roosts, tending the memorial fires where no one else will go. Ground crew. Invisible. The daughter of a dead war hero with calloused hands and nothing to her name but a uniform that smells like dragon musk.
The whispers started when I was a child. Voices in the Tombs, pressing against my mind like grief that isn’t mine. I learned to ignore them. I learned to keep my head down. I learned that no one notices the girl who cleans the bones.
Then four ancient war dragons — Elderwyrms, classified extinct for two centuries — woke from their vaults. The academy selected its four best cadets for the historic bonding. I was assigned to mop the floor.
Bastian — the golden heir with wind in his blood and five generations of legacy crumbling at his feet.
Leander — the scarred strategist whose cold precision cracked the night he realized I wasn’t looking away.
Sable — the healer whose steady hands put me back together every time the academy tried to break me.
Orion — the dangerous outcast from the border who saw what I was before I knew it myself.
The Elderwyrms flew past every candidate without a glance.
They landed around me. Four dragons that should be dead. Four cadets who should hate me. And the academy assigned them all to my wing.
The deeper I go into the Tombs, the louder the dead become. The whispers aren’t random… they’re voices. Spirit dragons, grieving for centuries without anyone to hear them. And someone sealed the evidence of why.
Two hundred years of names. Two hundred years of murder. And my mother’s name on the final page.
First Flight is a scorching fantasy why choose romance featuring dragon riders, a military academy carved into a mile-deep gorge, rivals-to-lovers tension, a fierce underdog heroine, a cliffhanger ending, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after for the series. Book 1 of the Dragonfall Academy series.
Perfect for readers who
• Dragon rider academies with deadly stakes
• Why choose romance with four devoted love interests
• Rivals-to-lovers tension that catches fire
• A fierce underdog heroine who reads dragons better than people
• “Touch her and die” — but the Elderwyrms get there first
• Military conspiracies and forbidden tombs
• Found family forged in dragonfire
• Gothic atmosphere and spirit dragon lore
• Slow burn that detonates
• HEA for readers who want it all
- GenresMagic
470 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 30, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 3, 2026
First flight dnf
This book is a conundrum for me. I like the plot. I do not like the characters. Even the heroine, who deserves to be liked, is uncomfortable. The prose is stilted and reactions are predictable. The love scenes are completely lacking any romantic value. I need to admit a bit of a bias, but I really got the impression that this was written from a male perspective. I generally love male authors for adventures and military stories, but notice I find them hard to relate to in reverse harems. The blip says Vesper is a "she", so maybe not a man. I also tried another novel by the author and notice all the books appear similar and produced very quickly. So, I'm just not ready to invest any more time. You may like it.
This book is a conundrum for me. I like the plot. I do not like the characters. Even the heroine, who deserves to be liked, is uncomfortable. The prose is stilted and reactions are predictable. The love scenes are completely lacking any romantic value. I need to admit a bit of a bias, but I really got the impression that this was written from a male perspective. I generally love male authors for adventures and military stories, but notice I find them hard to relate to in reverse harems. The blip says Vesper is a "she", so maybe not a man. I also tried another novel by the author and notice all the books appear similar and produced very quickly. So, I'm just not ready to invest any more time. You may like it.
June 21, 2026
Hhhhmmmmm....
The writing style is very different. I almost want to say the .... author .... had help. Someone who almost really knows how to edit. But too much keeps getting repeated. Too much word for word. Especially when it's not necessarily. Plus a few key words keep popping up. At the very least I think A.I. had a substantial hand in writing this book.
Take a chance....
jrwii
The writing style is very different. I almost want to say the .... author .... had help. Someone who almost really knows how to edit. But too much keeps getting repeated. Too much word for word. Especially when it's not necessarily. Plus a few key words keep popping up. At the very least I think A.I. had a substantial hand in writing this book.
Take a chance....
jrwii
July 23, 2026
I got to 55% when I realised I didn’t know any of the characters names and the book was dragging because nothing was happening. Liked the idea of the book but it was seriously slow. I don’t get the point of it.
September 24, 2026
Absolutely Outstanding !!
Such a brilliant book! The world building and character depth and development is off the charts good. Yes, this is a RH story but it’s not the main focus of the story, or rather, it’s not at this point.
There is a degree of repetition involved as information is either remembered as an internal monologue or when it’s relayed to another person. It’s common practice in the tradition of oral storytelling, it lets the speaker repeat a set phrase giving them time to recall the next part of the story. It’s ok in written storytelling to a degree provided it’s not overdone. That remains to be seen in the following books.
Set in an alternate world that focuses heavily on dragons and their chosen riders the story is in an academy setting.
Veda Cairns is part of the ground crew, she and the other ground crew serve the dragons. Tending to their basic healthcare and physical needs; food, water and keeping their chosen roost clean. Additionally they responsible for keeping the hallways clean and well lit. Everything relating to dragons is challenging and it pays to be observant getting trampled our gouged by a wounded or moody dragon can be fatal.
Veda’s been working solo on the lowest levels of the roost, where the dead are interred, she’s been tending the memorial fires since she was fourteen and freshly orphaned and struggling with her own grief. Her mother a dragon rider, died at the borderlands in combat against feral dragons.
The whispers she’s heard in the lower levels, that nobody else ever mentions have become more frequent. It appears that not all of those lower caverns hold dead dragons. When the four great elderwyrms wake the academy is a flurry of activity getting ready for a bonding ceremony.
On the big day in front of the entire academy seven years of actively being invisible come to a screeching halt for Veda, when all four of the elder dragons move past their candidates without pause, all four choose Veda.
Such a brilliant book! The world building and character depth and development is off the charts good. Yes, this is a RH story but it’s not the main focus of the story, or rather, it’s not at this point.
There is a degree of repetition involved as information is either remembered as an internal monologue or when it’s relayed to another person. It’s common practice in the tradition of oral storytelling, it lets the speaker repeat a set phrase giving them time to recall the next part of the story. It’s ok in written storytelling to a degree provided it’s not overdone. That remains to be seen in the following books.
Set in an alternate world that focuses heavily on dragons and their chosen riders the story is in an academy setting.
Veda Cairns is part of the ground crew, she and the other ground crew serve the dragons. Tending to their basic healthcare and physical needs; food, water and keeping their chosen roost clean. Additionally they responsible for keeping the hallways clean and well lit. Everything relating to dragons is challenging and it pays to be observant getting trampled our gouged by a wounded or moody dragon can be fatal.
Veda’s been working solo on the lowest levels of the roost, where the dead are interred, she’s been tending the memorial fires since she was fourteen and freshly orphaned and struggling with her own grief. Her mother a dragon rider, died at the borderlands in combat against feral dragons.
The whispers she’s heard in the lower levels, that nobody else ever mentions have become more frequent. It appears that not all of those lower caverns hold dead dragons. When the four great elderwyrms wake the academy is a flurry of activity getting ready for a bonding ceremony.
On the big day in front of the entire academy seven years of actively being invisible come to a screeching halt for Veda, when all four of the elder dragons move past their candidates without pause, all four choose Veda.
September 24, 2026
DNF on page 248 of 470 = 52%.
Not a personality IN SIGHT. But you know what there is plentiful of?? Word salad. Lots and lots of nothingness strung together trying to be something memorable. Books like this always read as overdramatic because they're trying to get the words to carry more meaning than they do, rather than letting the actual story unfold. It's words, words, words, but they don't come together to form anything coherent or meaningful.
And the total lack of personality for any of the characters? They're all flat and boring and drowning and choking underneath the word salad. And this is supposed to be a reverse harem? REVERSE HAREM WHERE? Oh oh, and let's not forget that Veda has now had sex with two of the "love interests" at this point, but once she sleeps with them, they practically disappear and we never hear from them again. We don't even see her have a THOUGHT about either of them. She just moves on to the next. GROSS. It's weird, and the "love" didn't at all sell me.
And then we have the dragons, and Veda's relationship–or lack thereof–with them. I thought, at the very least, that while the relationships with the human men are lacking, maybe Veda would work on bonding with the dragons and actually, hmmm, I dunno, LIKE THEM???? Instead, she goes around shutting them out, letting them watch over her, while she does absolutely nothing of value. I honestly found that more disappointing than the awful men and gross advancement of the sexual relationships.
It's such a massive shame, because I felt like this book carried REAL potential. Like, it could have been AMAZING, but there's too much the author hasn't done right to justify me continuing.
Not a personality IN SIGHT. But you know what there is plentiful of?? Word salad. Lots and lots of nothingness strung together trying to be something memorable. Books like this always read as overdramatic because they're trying to get the words to carry more meaning than they do, rather than letting the actual story unfold. It's words, words, words, but they don't come together to form anything coherent or meaningful.
And the total lack of personality for any of the characters? They're all flat and boring and drowning and choking underneath the word salad. And this is supposed to be a reverse harem? REVERSE HAREM WHERE? Oh oh, and let's not forget that Veda has now had sex with two of the "love interests" at this point, but once she sleeps with them, they practically disappear and we never hear from them again. We don't even see her have a THOUGHT about either of them. She just moves on to the next. GROSS. It's weird, and the "love" didn't at all sell me.
And then we have the dragons, and Veda's relationship–or lack thereof–with them. I thought, at the very least, that while the relationships with the human men are lacking, maybe Veda would work on bonding with the dragons and actually, hmmm, I dunno, LIKE THEM???? Instead, she goes around shutting them out, letting them watch over her, while she does absolutely nothing of value. I honestly found that more disappointing than the awful men and gross advancement of the sexual relationships.
It's such a massive shame, because I felt like this book carried REAL potential. Like, it could have been AMAZING, but there's too much the author hasn't done right to justify me continuing.
August 8, 2026
5 stars off to read book 2!
⭐ 1 Star – Not for me
I couldn't get into the story and chose not to finish it. The writing style, pacing or plot simply wasn't for me.
⭐⭐ 2 Stars – Struggled
I finished (or almost finished) the book but found it difficult to stay engaged. There were elements I liked, but overall it didn't work for me.
⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars – Good story, wanted more
I enjoyed the book and I'm glad I read it. The story had real potential, but I was left wanting more depth, stronger character development or fuller scenes before I could truly lose myself in it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars – Really enjoyed it
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would happily recommend it. The story kept me engaged throughout, with only a few minor things preventing it from being a five-star read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars – Couldn't put it down
I absolutely loved this book. I was completely immersed in the story and characters and couldn't stop reading. I'd happily read the whole series and anything else by this author.
⭐ 1 Star – Not for me
I couldn't get into the story and chose not to finish it. The writing style, pacing or plot simply wasn't for me.
⭐⭐ 2 Stars – Struggled
I finished (or almost finished) the book but found it difficult to stay engaged. There were elements I liked, but overall it didn't work for me.
⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars – Good story, wanted more
I enjoyed the book and I'm glad I read it. The story had real potential, but I was left wanting more depth, stronger character development or fuller scenes before I could truly lose myself in it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars – Really enjoyed it
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would happily recommend it. The story kept me engaged throughout, with only a few minor things preventing it from being a five-star read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars – Couldn't put it down
I absolutely loved this book. I was completely immersed in the story and characters and couldn't stop reading. I'd happily read the whole series and anything else by this author.
Did Not Finish
October 16, 2026DNF at 15%. This was a great story concept. Unfortunately, the writing style is stilted and cumbersome. I just couldn’t get into it and felt no emotional connection to the characters or story. Based on the bit I read, the book could probably be about 20% shorter if you took out all of the contrasting/negative descriptions (“she felt something. Not this. Not that. But blah blah blah”). It’s a phrasing I associate with AI and pulls me out of a story whenever it’s used - which was often in this one. There was also a lot of repetition, unnecessary minutiae, and long-winded descriptions, which added to the impersonal feel of the writing.
July 22, 2026
67% DNF big sigh
I've sat on this book the longest. I really wanted to like it.
Reverse harem, dragons, a girl willing to get her hands dirty (not like that)...... What's not to like.....?
The delivery.
The smut was cold. I have no other way to describe it. It was like Veda shoving some random into a bathroom, having her way with. Think having your grandma talking your ear off about her knitting kind of way... and business as usual the next day.
No spark.
This is not RH. This is oh yeah that's Carl. (Sorry Carl, first name that randomly popped up)....
Underwhelmed.
I've sat on this book the longest. I really wanted to like it.
Reverse harem, dragons, a girl willing to get her hands dirty (not like that)...... What's not to like.....?
The delivery.
The smut was cold. I have no other way to describe it. It was like Veda shoving some random into a bathroom, having her way with. Think having your grandma talking your ear off about her knitting kind of way... and business as usual the next day.
No spark.
This is not RH. This is oh yeah that's Carl. (Sorry Carl, first name that randomly popped up)....
Underwhelmed.
October 16, 2026
Pretty sure this is AI
Unfortunately had to DNF halfway through as it became increasingly obvious this book was substantially if not entirely AI generated. Characters who had only spoken two or three sentences are falling into bed, lots of repetition, scenes that should have been substantial dismissed entirely in the next chapter. Very very *very* little actual dialog, through the halfway point it was almost entirely internal monologing. Shame really, the idea could have been a decent book. The execution was just very flat.
Unfortunately had to DNF halfway through as it became increasingly obvious this book was substantially if not entirely AI generated. Characters who had only spoken two or three sentences are falling into bed, lots of repetition, scenes that should have been substantial dismissed entirely in the next chapter. Very very *very* little actual dialog, through the halfway point it was almost entirely internal monologing. Shame really, the idea could have been a decent book. The execution was just very flat.
September 29, 2026
I had such high hopes for this book. The writing style wasn't my favorite but it wasn't a real issue until I realized that I could play a drinking game with the amount of times the FMC's 7 years hauling grain was referenced or that one of the MMC's had 'herb stained hands".
Author was clearly going for word count with this one.
Author was clearly going for word count with this one.
July 5, 2026
refreshing story
Honestly was a really good read, it was a refreshing story or it definitely felt that way compared to some of the other books I’ve read in the same genre, yes there is some spicy moments throughout, I’m excited to see where this story goes!
Honestly was a really good read, it was a refreshing story or it definitely felt that way compared to some of the other books I’ve read in the same genre, yes there is some spicy moments throughout, I’m excited to see where this story goes!
June 22, 2026
Great book
I love books with a strong female lead.
And I can't wait to read the next book in this series.
I love books with a strong female lead.
And I can't wait to read the next book in this series.
August 5, 2026
Wow
Excellent start to the series well written excellent content and well deserved five stars would highly recommend that you read this series
Excellent start to the series well written excellent content and well deserved five stars would highly recommend that you read this series
Did Not Finish
August 30, 2026so much promise, but the execution isn’t there
The plot is everything I want to read, but the execution just doesn’t make sense and the word choice isn’t quite right.
The plot is everything I want to read, but the execution just doesn’t make sense and the word choice isn’t quite right.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews