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Dragon Born Academy #1
Cracked Open
Dragons, bonded mates, and irreversible decisions...
After a car accident left my only parent – my father in the hospital, I was swept away to the Dragon Born Academy by my estranged grandmother.
If I had to be there, I’d be an observer of this place with its rituals and superstitions… After all, everyone’s made it clear I don’t belong.
But then it happened…and Ashe Carrick – my impossibly irresistible bond-mate happened.
Being Cracked Open changed everything… Who I thought I was, WHAT I thought I was…
DRAGON BORN.
The words alone bring to mind monsters and princesses in castles.
I am the princess and the monster they locked away. However, my story has no damsels in distress, waiting to be rescued.
It’s self-rescue time, and I’m done playing nice.
After a car accident left my only parent – my father in the hospital, I was swept away to the Dragon Born Academy by my estranged grandmother.
If I had to be there, I’d be an observer of this place with its rituals and superstitions… After all, everyone’s made it clear I don’t belong.
But then it happened…and Ashe Carrick – my impossibly irresistible bond-mate happened.
Being Cracked Open changed everything… Who I thought I was, WHAT I thought I was…
DRAGON BORN.
The words alone bring to mind monsters and princesses in castles.
I am the princess and the monster they locked away. However, my story has no damsels in distress, waiting to be rescued.
It’s self-rescue time, and I’m done playing nice.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2020
619 people are currently reading
1133 people want to read
About the author
T.L. Christianson
43 books873 followersT.L. lives in Colorado with her husband and two children. She’s a graduate of the University of Colorado in Boulder and an avid outdoorswoman. When she's not outside or working on her latest novel, you'll find her reading, listening to science podcasts, or playing the Sims.
WWW.TLCHRISTIANSON.COM
WWW.TLCHRISTIANSON.COM
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
July 13, 2021
Originally posted at:
Even though I enjoyed this book it was still beyond frustrating. The adults were complete nincompoops. The heroine was left the in dark until the end of the story (even at the end we still know barely anything for a fact). She was lied to and manipulated but expected to like where she was at and be meek and accepting about everything anyone did to her. They treat her like a child and get angry when she acts like one. Sheesh.
Now to the elephant in the room: The age gap. Normally I don't mind big age gaps, especially in paranormal romance novels. It's to be expected to a certain degree in the genre. This one bothered me though and it still continues to make me feel icky. It would have been so much better for the author to have aged up the main couple by 2 years each. Why not make it so that in the Dragonborn society she's considered a minor at 20 and can only bond at 25 or something. It would have been weird but understandable with a lot of world-building surrounding it.
Ah! Something else that was severely lacking in this book: worldbuilding. I read a whole book and I barely know the ins and outs of how their society works. We were over halfway into the book before the dragon families were even explained in vague detail. Worldbuilding is key to making a novel believable.
For the first time in my life, I actually wanted some info-dumps. I was that desperate. It lacked THAT much worldbuilding. I wanted to immerse myself in this world but there was only the barest sprinkle of information about it which made it impossible.
One thing that really ground my nerves was all the slut-shaming directed at the heroine both from an adult and her peers. Let's get one thing straight: The heroine had NO choice where the mating was concerned. She was in the dark about everything including the possible consequences of the ritual they did on her. No one had any idea that a bonding could take place in those circumstances. The hero did his best to hold back but his dragon/magic/destiny was stronger. Neither of them CHOSE to be bonded. She isn't a homewrecker (as I've seen mentioned in other reviews). Being a homewrecker implies that she went out of her way to be in a relationship with a guy she knew was with someone else. That didn't happen. It was destiny, not a choice both parties took.
Another thing I disliked was how the hero liked to tell the heroine that she didn't seem/act like her age. It was actually disturbing and made me feel all kinds of wrong. Though I loved how sweet, caring, and understanding he was. I liked how he didn't push her into anything and put the brakes on when he felt it was getting to be too much. He was a stand-up guy working his way up the food chain in the Dragonborn society and his obligations weren't put aside just because the bond happened without their control.
I found myself agreeing with a lot of what the heroine was thinking and reasoning out for herself. I was very surprised by how much she used her brain and backbone for being only 16. The adults didn't want to deal with her asking questions and compromising on some key factors. Her runaway attempts were valid. Since no one around her was telling her even the basics of this world, she (within reason) was going to go back to the one constant in her life one way or another. I can't blame her for that. It felt like every adult in her life either wanted to bully her or wanted her complacent which is why they were so closed-lipped about everything.
Even though there were a few plot holes that had me scratching my head I'm willing to give the next book a chance. I'm praying to the almighty book gods that there's more worldbuilding and less lying in the next book!
Even though I enjoyed this book it was still beyond frustrating. The adults were complete nincompoops. The heroine was left the in dark until the end of the story (even at the end we still know barely anything for a fact). She was lied to and manipulated but expected to like where she was at and be meek and accepting about everything anyone did to her. They treat her like a child and get angry when she acts like one. Sheesh.
Now to the elephant in the room: The age gap. Normally I don't mind big age gaps, especially in paranormal romance novels. It's to be expected to a certain degree in the genre. This one bothered me though and it still continues to make me feel icky. It would have been so much better for the author to have aged up the main couple by 2 years each. Why not make it so that in the Dragonborn society she's considered a minor at 20 and can only bond at 25 or something. It would have been weird but understandable with a lot of world-building surrounding it.
Ah! Something else that was severely lacking in this book: worldbuilding. I read a whole book and I barely know the ins and outs of how their society works. We were over halfway into the book before the dragon families were even explained in vague detail. Worldbuilding is key to making a novel believable.
For the first time in my life, I actually wanted some info-dumps. I was that desperate. It lacked THAT much worldbuilding. I wanted to immerse myself in this world but there was only the barest sprinkle of information about it which made it impossible.
One thing that really ground my nerves was all the slut-shaming directed at the heroine both from an adult and her peers. Let's get one thing straight: The heroine had NO choice where the mating was concerned. She was in the dark about everything including the possible consequences of the ritual they did on her. No one had any idea that a bonding could take place in those circumstances. The hero did his best to hold back but his dragon/magic/destiny was stronger. Neither of them CHOSE to be bonded. She isn't a homewrecker (as I've seen mentioned in other reviews). Being a homewrecker implies that she went out of her way to be in a relationship with a guy she knew was with someone else. That didn't happen. It was destiny, not a choice both parties took.
Another thing I disliked was how the hero liked to tell the heroine that she didn't seem/act like her age. It was actually disturbing and made me feel all kinds of wrong. Though I loved how sweet, caring, and understanding he was. I liked how he didn't push her into anything and put the brakes on when he felt it was getting to be too much. He was a stand-up guy working his way up the food chain in the Dragonborn society and his obligations weren't put aside just because the bond happened without their control.
I found myself agreeing with a lot of what the heroine was thinking and reasoning out for herself. I was very surprised by how much she used her brain and backbone for being only 16. The adults didn't want to deal with her asking questions and compromising on some key factors. Her runaway attempts were valid. Since no one around her was telling her even the basics of this world, she (within reason) was going to go back to the one constant in her life one way or another. I can't blame her for that. It felt like every adult in her life either wanted to bully her or wanted her complacent which is why they were so closed-lipped about everything.
Even though there were a few plot holes that had me scratching my head I'm willing to give the next book a chance. I'm praying to the almighty book gods that there's more worldbuilding and less lying in the next book!
May 28, 2021
16 y/o fated to a 23 y/o and none of these reviewers find issues with that?
Look, I love PNR, I love forbidden love, and rejected mate stories. I love MC's that need growth and to work on themselves. But this story as a whole was not great. It had a good overall plot. Spoiler ALERT throughout my review, so be aware of that,
...
...
Girl being raised by single father, who doesn't know anything about the supernatural world, or that she could be a supernatural being. Good premise. Throw in a fated mate, the fact that she must go to an academy to learn about who she truly is... it's all a good enough plot. Here's where they lose me immediately. She's 16 and he's 23. Yes it's only 7 years, but we're not talking about a 20 and 27 year old. We're talking about a 16 year old virgin with zero experience with sex or serial acts in general, whom also lacks confidence in herself as a person. She's bratty, bitchy, yet accepts the fact that a strange lady comes to whisk her away, right after her dad ends up in a coma, and it's ok because she's the grandmother she's never met or even knew about. Her fated mate was going to propose to his long time gf whom everyone loves and adores, which creates more issues for our MC due to bullying (although it's not overly mean bullying imo, it could have been worse than name baking and fake rumors) and then later admits to it MC that he'll always have feelings for this lady even though he's bonded to our MC now. I'm sorry but that's nothing any girl ever wants to hear.
I think I've given enough in depth this that I found wrong with the story. I really don't like leaving bad reviews, I know that the author spent a good amount of time on this and I can tell she loves writing. So things I liked about the story was the overall plot, and the fact that it was a story with dragons, and not in a way that I've seen portrayed before. The fact that I got to read this free on my KU is the only reason I finished this story though.. well the first book. I doubt I'll read any further in this series, the age is just really killing it for me. And the mc's immaturity overall. I'm going to see if this author has a different series, and hopefully I'll like her other works, this one was just not a great as the revues made it out to be.
Look, I love PNR, I love forbidden love, and rejected mate stories. I love MC's that need growth and to work on themselves. But this story as a whole was not great. It had a good overall plot. Spoiler ALERT throughout my review, so be aware of that,
...
...
Girl being raised by single father, who doesn't know anything about the supernatural world, or that she could be a supernatural being. Good premise. Throw in a fated mate, the fact that she must go to an academy to learn about who she truly is... it's all a good enough plot. Here's where they lose me immediately. She's 16 and he's 23. Yes it's only 7 years, but we're not talking about a 20 and 27 year old. We're talking about a 16 year old virgin with zero experience with sex or serial acts in general, whom also lacks confidence in herself as a person. She's bratty, bitchy, yet accepts the fact that a strange lady comes to whisk her away, right after her dad ends up in a coma, and it's ok because she's the grandmother she's never met or even knew about. Her fated mate was going to propose to his long time gf whom everyone loves and adores, which creates more issues for our MC due to bullying (although it's not overly mean bullying imo, it could have been worse than name baking and fake rumors) and then later admits to it MC that he'll always have feelings for this lady even though he's bonded to our MC now. I'm sorry but that's nothing any girl ever wants to hear.
I think I've given enough in depth this that I found wrong with the story. I really don't like leaving bad reviews, I know that the author spent a good amount of time on this and I can tell she loves writing. So things I liked about the story was the overall plot, and the fact that it was a story with dragons, and not in a way that I've seen portrayed before. The fact that I got to read this free on my KU is the only reason I finished this story though.. well the first book. I doubt I'll read any further in this series, the age is just really killing it for me. And the mc's immaturity overall. I'm going to see if this author has a different series, and hopefully I'll like her other works, this one was just not a great as the revues made it out to be.
February 3, 2021
This review will not have any spoilers.
This read was compelling, surprising, and beyond any expectations I might have had when I first read the synopsis of this book.
It was so much more than I had expected. Wow. Ms. Christianson has taken the YA genre to a complete new level of fantasy.
The world of The Dragonborn is like nothing I have read before. The main character Sydney is from the human world and has been completely oblivious to the Dragonborn world until she is taken there because of an accident her father was in. She gets to the Dragonborn Academy where her life will be forever changed.
Sydney will have her eyes open to many things in this new world and she will have to overcome some obstacles for a girl that is still young.
This book has many exciting twists that I have not EVER read in any other book which in my opinion is PRICELESS.
I can not wait to read more in this series. Thank you T.L. Christianson for a remarkable journey and I am so ready for this trip.
Bravo
This read was compelling, surprising, and beyond any expectations I might have had when I first read the synopsis of this book.
It was so much more than I had expected. Wow. Ms. Christianson has taken the YA genre to a complete new level of fantasy.
The world of The Dragonborn is like nothing I have read before. The main character Sydney is from the human world and has been completely oblivious to the Dragonborn world until she is taken there because of an accident her father was in. She gets to the Dragonborn Academy where her life will be forever changed.
Sydney will have her eyes open to many things in this new world and she will have to overcome some obstacles for a girl that is still young.
This book has many exciting twists that I have not EVER read in any other book which in my opinion is PRICELESS.
I can not wait to read more in this series. Thank you T.L. Christianson for a remarkable journey and I am so ready for this trip.
Bravo
April 21, 2022
I really enjoyed the writing of this, the storyline kept me hooked.
( CW: adult/ child relationship)
Would suggest not to have a 16 year old and 23 year old be together though
( CW: adult/ child relationship)
Would suggest not to have a 16 year old and 23 year old be together though
August 15, 2020
I Liked the Dragon Book!
While it was miles away from my usual genres, T.L. Christianson gives her readers an exciting, angsty YA read with Cracked Open.
We venture into the world of the Dragon Born with Sydney, learning all about this community as she does. Sydney always knew she was different and lead a different life than other sixteen year old girls, however never expected to be told she was Dragon Born and not only that, but a member of royalty if you will.
Sydney is a head strong young woman, traveling the world with her father, learning about life by living it, not sitting in a classroom. I thought she was written well, toeing the line of young adult and little girl. While she was shocked to learn about herself and the history of who she really is, Sydney stayed as calm as a person could.
The book is well written with a slew of characters to keep things interesting, including Ashe, Sydney's bond-mate. Cracked Open is the first book in The Dragon Born series and sets the story up nicely. We learn who and where Sydney came from, what they want her to do, where they want her to go, but not how she's going to get it done-that's coming soon. I was surprised I liked the book as much as I did because it isn't my usual read. It was a great change of pace and I can't wait for the next one!
Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.
While it was miles away from my usual genres, T.L. Christianson gives her readers an exciting, angsty YA read with Cracked Open.
We venture into the world of the Dragon Born with Sydney, learning all about this community as she does. Sydney always knew she was different and lead a different life than other sixteen year old girls, however never expected to be told she was Dragon Born and not only that, but a member of royalty if you will.
Sydney is a head strong young woman, traveling the world with her father, learning about life by living it, not sitting in a classroom. I thought she was written well, toeing the line of young adult and little girl. While she was shocked to learn about herself and the history of who she really is, Sydney stayed as calm as a person could.
The book is well written with a slew of characters to keep things interesting, including Ashe, Sydney's bond-mate. Cracked Open is the first book in The Dragon Born series and sets the story up nicely. We learn who and where Sydney came from, what they want her to do, where they want her to go, but not how she's going to get it done-that's coming soon. I was surprised I liked the book as much as I did because it isn't my usual read. It was a great change of pace and I can't wait for the next one!
Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.
August 13, 2020
This was a great read! A little different from what o normally read but it grabbed my attention right from the beginning. Sydney is a 16 year old thrown into a whole different world. Ashe is in the Dragonborn world and everything he’s planned comes crashing down when Sydney arrives. They have to navigate around all the secrets. Really enjoyed the characters! Very enjoyable read and can’t wait for the next book! Received ARC for an honest review
August 27, 2020
4.5 STARS REVIEW
Young Adult/New Adult, Romantic Fantasy
First Person, female-POV
This is book #1 of the Dragon Born Academy. It does end in a cliffhanger.
Wow!!! This was great!
I loved the world built here. It is unique! Different than everything else I've read.
I love all the characters. They were so easy to love that I became invested in their happiness.
The romance was a big surprise. It took us out of the obvious and it felt like we were exploring uncharted territory.
I won't be saying much more than this, because you need to read the book, to enjoy this great adventure!!!
Cute, taboo romance!!!
33/35 STARS – 4.5 STARS (between 31.5 stars and 33 stars)
Addictiveness: 5 Character: 5 Cover: 5 Freshness: 5 Plot: 4 Romance: 4 Writing Style: 5
Action 4/5 Angst 4/5 Darkness 0/5 Humor 3/5 Romance 5/5 Suspense/Mystery 4/5
Would I recommend? Yes, readers of YA/NA fantasy!
Would I re-read this book/series? Yes!
Would I read more from the author? Definitely!!!
Addictiveness: 5/5 This book was so different, so unique that it had me hooked from the first page. The world built was amazing and it had me wanting to discover more. As addictive as chocolate!!!
Character: hero 5/5, heroine 5/5, secondary characters 5/5, growth 5/5, real 5/5 Multidimensional characters with great personal growth and background stories.
Sydney was an amazing heroine. She was so young, but so strong and brave. She had been dealt a scary turn of events and she took it pretty well all things considered. When the unimaginable happened, still it wasn't easy. Her path was filled with hurdles and she had been managing it very mature for someone so young.
Ashe was a great hero. Even though sometimes his decisions were not what us readers wanted, they were usually the right ones. He was the adult. He was the true Dragonborn with knowledge of their world. He was responsible, reliable and cute. I'm really looking forward to "be" inside his head. I missed his voice.
Secondary characters They all felt relevant to the story and interesting. There were many that I would like to know more.
Villain/antagonists Everything is still in the air here. So, we got several options for villains and a platoon of antagonists.
They were easy to love, to connect and understand!!!
Cover: art 5/5, title 5/5, color-font 5/5, subtitle 3.5/5, background 5/5 buy 5/5 I’m obsessed with book covers. I love to find snippets of the stories within the art. I always try to be true to myself, I buy so many books because of the cover and I have skipped many because of not very appealing art. Covers are part of the experience for me and I do like to understand them. This one was perfection!!! I love when a book cover feels personal. This was was clear made for this story and everything seems pertinent. The academy at the background, her dragon, the title and the font used. Sidney in her uniform. Wow! I would definitely buy this book by its cover without needing to read the blurb!
Freshness: 5/5 ONE-OF-A-KIND! Everything here feels out-of-this-world original. It is fresh and unique. From the setting, to the plot, to the romance and the twists. As fresh as water during summer in the middle of the desert!!!
Plot: believable 4/5, conflict 5/5, dialogue 5/5, ending 4/5, enjoyment 5/5, opening 5/5, pace 5/5, setting 5/5, subplots 5/5, twists 5/5 Amazing opening with an incredible ending even though with a cliffhanger. Superb plot, with well written dialogues and intense pace. Great setting, a few really good subplots with unexpected twists. High level of enjoyment!
This plot was so so so good. Really, a taboo romance in a YA book? You don't usually find this. And it is so well written, you don't even remember that it is taboo.
The plot was filled with twists and turns and each time the reader believed he knew what was coming, that ending happened!!!
Romance: believable 5/5, chemistry 3/5, description 5/5, development 4/5, steam 3/5 This was very beautiful. The author had such a delicate way of writing about this complex love story. It was cute, sweet and loving. Taboo romance!!!
Writing Style: 5/5 What is not to like? Complex characters, creative plot, fantastic romance in a clean, cohesive writing. Work of a wordsmith!!!
Because I try to be very analytical and I don't really believe in perfection...
I really missed the male POV. I caught myself many times wanting to know what Ashe was thinking at a specific moment. To see inside his Dragonborn brain would be interesting.
Also, I understand the need of cliffhangers, it doesn't mean that I have to like them. :)
You MAY read this because you follow the author; you SHOULD read this because you like romantic fantasy; you MUST read this because the romance is enchanting!!!
August 13, 2020
Wow! Absolutely loved this book, cannot wait for the next in the series. If there is a young adult in your life this is the series for them. There is mystery, intrigue, love and dragons. Yep, I said it dragons. An engaging read, TL Christianson pulls you into the world of the Dragonborn, where you will slowly uncover their secrets.
August 17, 2020
Leaving this review whilst still raging about how this book ends!!! 🤬 I NEED more!!!
I absolutely loved this book, i love ashe and sydney i love the dragons, i love the chemistry the romance the anger, the betrayal just wow! I wanna be dragonborn!!!!! Amazing writing yet again from a very talented author i think this deffo sits in my top 5 2020 reads!!!
I absolutely loved this book, i love ashe and sydney i love the dragons, i love the chemistry the romance the anger, the betrayal just wow! I wanna be dragonborn!!!!! Amazing writing yet again from a very talented author i think this deffo sits in my top 5 2020 reads!!!
December 26, 2020
Not worth money
Wannabe adult homewrecker. Didn't even finish it. 🤷♀️ she's just like bratty teenager who was given power. If that's your thing, then read on.
Wannabe adult homewrecker. Didn't even finish it. 🤷♀️ she's just like bratty teenager who was given power. If that's your thing, then read on.
September 20, 2021
DNF at about 89%
I love dragons but there are so many things wrong here. I can't be bothered to list them all.
I love dragons but there are so many things wrong here. I can't be bothered to list them all.
September 23, 2021
Could be better
The story has potential, if only the main character wasn't a useless, indecisive, whiny child. All she does for the whole book is sulk, and cry. Boring.
The story has potential, if only the main character wasn't a useless, indecisive, whiny child. All she does for the whole book is sulk, and cry. Boring.
December 14, 2021
I enjoy the premise but 16?!
May 8, 2022
When reading a book, it is not often that I find myself unable to put it down to one side, switch off the bedside light, and continue where I left off the following day. But when I do, I consider this a rare find, and automatically I find myself on a mission to download, or buy more of the author's work, and add to my very own personal library collection.
So I am more than a little excited to share in this review, that Cracked Open, Book One of the Dragon Born Academy series is, for me, a rare find, and a definite Book Dragon Keeper!! T. L. Christianson had me so engrossed in the world of the Dragon Born, that I had read the entire book in one night, and finished at 4.40 in the morning. Rarely I am awake to watch the rise of dawn, and whilst tired, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey I was taken on.
Firstly if you are a lover of Dragons, obsessed with Dragons, and adore anything to do with Dragons, then this book is for you. Although considered a young adult book, readers and dragon fanatics will love it no matter what their age is, and if you are a fan of Eragon, and Harry Potter you will certainly enjoy this fantasy series.
Beautifully written and full of the promise of much more excitement to come, and did I mention Dragons? I am awarding Cracked Open, an easy 5 Stars.
Thank you T. L. Christianson for sharing your work with the Book Dragon. I am looking forward to more nights spent with the Dragon Born & Academy series, although hopefully I can fit some sleep in, as I work my way through the series :)
by Kirsty McKay, Lead Reviewer New Adult / Adult Fiction (The Book Dragon)
www.thebookdragon.co.uk
So I am more than a little excited to share in this review, that Cracked Open, Book One of the Dragon Born Academy series is, for me, a rare find, and a definite Book Dragon Keeper!! T. L. Christianson had me so engrossed in the world of the Dragon Born, that I had read the entire book in one night, and finished at 4.40 in the morning. Rarely I am awake to watch the rise of dawn, and whilst tired, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey I was taken on.
Firstly if you are a lover of Dragons, obsessed with Dragons, and adore anything to do with Dragons, then this book is for you. Although considered a young adult book, readers and dragon fanatics will love it no matter what their age is, and if you are a fan of Eragon, and Harry Potter you will certainly enjoy this fantasy series.
Beautifully written and full of the promise of much more excitement to come, and did I mention Dragons? I am awarding Cracked Open, an easy 5 Stars.
Thank you T. L. Christianson for sharing your work with the Book Dragon. I am looking forward to more nights spent with the Dragon Born & Academy series, although hopefully I can fit some sleep in, as I work my way through the series :)
by Kirsty McKay, Lead Reviewer New Adult / Adult Fiction (The Book Dragon)
www.thebookdragon.co.uk
February 18, 2024
I’m DNFing at 46%.
Normally, I would not write a review after that much, but making an exception because of the sexual grooming aspect of this book.
I enjoyed the plot initially. Girl knows nothing of this world, dad in a coma, lost grandma whisks her away to dragon school and finds out about dragons.
Then she is immediately thrust into a bonding situation that must be completed through sex. She’s 16 and the guy is 23.
They keep having the guys say to her “you seem so much older than you are.” It gave such creepy, sexual grooming vibes that I kept having to close it.
The world building is also lacking, I would love so much more information on the world.
Ultimately though, the creepy sexual grooming vibes that quickly became the main story plot and obsession made me set it aside permanently.
Normally, I would not write a review after that much, but making an exception because of the sexual grooming aspect of this book.
I enjoyed the plot initially. Girl knows nothing of this world, dad in a coma, lost grandma whisks her away to dragon school and finds out about dragons.
Then she is immediately thrust into a bonding situation that must be completed through sex. She’s 16 and the guy is 23.
They keep having the guys say to her “you seem so much older than you are.” It gave such creepy, sexual grooming vibes that I kept having to close it.
The world building is also lacking, I would love so much more information on the world.
Ultimately though, the creepy sexual grooming vibes that quickly became the main story plot and obsession made me set it aside permanently.
December 26, 2023
C R A C K E D O P E N !
This book has been patiently waiting on my TBR for a year and a half, and I have to say I shouldn't have waited this long to read this book. It was presently good! Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I started this book in one day and finished maybe 3 hours after. Will definitely continue this series.
.
Now I did feel weird in the beginning once I learned the age of the FMC being 16 and the MMC 23 and their dragons bonded and which made them want to bond. But thank God the author didn't take it that way, so I will continue the series to see how everything plays out.
This book has been patiently waiting on my TBR for a year and a half, and I have to say I shouldn't have waited this long to read this book. It was presently good! Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I started this book in one day and finished maybe 3 hours after. Will definitely continue this series.
.
Now I did feel weird in the beginning once I learned the age of the FMC being 16 and the MMC 23 and their dragons bonded and which made them want to bond. But thank God the author didn't take it that way, so I will continue the series to see how everything plays out.
August 8, 2020
I have been waiting to read cracked open and it did not disappoint! Sydney is teenager who suddenly finds herself in an academy for dragon born people. She has to figure out her life and figure out who is telling the truth, the dragon people or her father who is far away in a hospital. There are so many great moments in this book. I absolutely love Ashe and Sydney together. I know there is so much more to this story and I can't wait to read the next book! Highly recommend.
I voluntarily read an advanced copy for an honest review.
I voluntarily read an advanced copy for an honest review.
December 13, 2020
Adult paranormal romance
Adventure, secrets, dragons, tension, mates, bonding, jealousy, new school..
I loved reading it 💕 the story was awesome, characters funny and easy to connect with.
Adventure, secrets, dragons, tension, mates, bonding, jealousy, new school..
I loved reading it 💕 the story was awesome, characters funny and easy to connect with.
October 15, 2021
*2.5 stars*
Want to read
October 20, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/20/2021)! 🎁
January 17, 2022
Interesting, but ...
Unfortunately, this reads more like a draft than a finished product. Too many disconnects in the sentences, word choice errors, misspellings.
I liked the concept and am curious as to what will happen in subsequent books, but not enough to have to deal with the same lack of decent editing.
Unfortunately, this reads more like a draft than a finished product. Too many disconnects in the sentences, word choice errors, misspellings.
I liked the concept and am curious as to what will happen in subsequent books, but not enough to have to deal with the same lack of decent editing.
August 13, 2020
Holy cow this story is wonderful, so well written full of angst and drama, yet such a pleasure to read. Love this and can't wait for book two.
August 13, 2020
Perfect start for a new series, with plenty entertainment and a fantastic story line. Looking forward to more fron these amazing characters. Well done!
December 26, 2021
3 stars
Let's say I had a hard time with the cradle robbing fated mates storyline. While I liked the premise, characters were good and believable, I guess I couldn't get past that. No sex, but the ick factor was prominent for me. Undecided if I will continue as I could see a great storyline coming as dragons vie for a prime female unbonded.
Let's say I had a hard time with the cradle robbing fated mates storyline. While I liked the premise, characters were good and believable, I guess I couldn't get past that. No sex, but the ick factor was prominent for me. Undecided if I will continue as I could see a great storyline coming as dragons vie for a prime female unbonded.
December 15, 2022
It is rare when I get really angry with characters and things in a book but this one really got to me. There is NO ONE in this book that I actually can even tolerate.
Spoilers alert. No way I can really make my dislike for this book without noting a few things.
ALERT
ALERT
ALERT
Basic story: Sydney, a sixteen-year old girl, has been living with her father after the death of her mother. Her father is in medicine and travels the world and she goes with him.
Then he's injured and ends up in a coma and suddenly a grandmother appears, takes control of her and forces her to go to a dragon academy. Her grandmother's hatred for her father is obvious throughout the entire book.
Sydney doesn't want to go the the place but doesn't really fight it. Negative points for her here. At the school she's told she has to go through a ritual and goes along with it rather than demanding not to (remember, she didn't want to be there anyhow.)
The rest of the book goes that way with her being forced to do things she didn't want to do. Then, there's a scene where she is attacked by a dragon in order to get her dragon out of her. Why? So the two dragons can have sex She nearly dies! Does she report this to the police? No. Does she report it to the person taking care of her father? No.
The rest of the book is almost as bad. There's more betrayals, more portraying her father as a villain without going into why he did what he did and a major emphasis on her wanting to have sex with a guy older than her (illegal, by the way).
She never tries to break with her dragon. She never makes calls to the FBI or points out that what has been to her could be considered a terrorist act.
What this is saying is that a woman can be assaulted and nearly killed by a creature so it can have sex with another creature and then have this tremendous desire to have sex with the guy who had the aggressive dragon come from him.
To me this sets back consideration for realistic female equality by a very large margin. I definitely will NOT be reading any more books in this series.
Spoilers alert. No way I can really make my dislike for this book without noting a few things.
ALERT
ALERT
ALERT
Basic story: Sydney, a sixteen-year old girl, has been living with her father after the death of her mother. Her father is in medicine and travels the world and she goes with him.
Then he's injured and ends up in a coma and suddenly a grandmother appears, takes control of her and forces her to go to a dragon academy. Her grandmother's hatred for her father is obvious throughout the entire book.
Sydney doesn't want to go the the place but doesn't really fight it. Negative points for her here. At the school she's told she has to go through a ritual and goes along with it rather than demanding not to (remember, she didn't want to be there anyhow.)
The rest of the book goes that way with her being forced to do things she didn't want to do. Then, there's a scene where she is attacked by a dragon in order to get her dragon out of her. Why? So the two dragons can have sex She nearly dies! Does she report this to the police? No. Does she report it to the person taking care of her father? No.
The rest of the book is almost as bad. There's more betrayals, more portraying her father as a villain without going into why he did what he did and a major emphasis on her wanting to have sex with a guy older than her (illegal, by the way).
She never tries to break with her dragon. She never makes calls to the FBI or points out that what has been to her could be considered a terrorist act.
What this is saying is that a woman can be assaulted and nearly killed by a creature so it can have sex with another creature and then have this tremendous desire to have sex with the guy who had the aggressive dragon come from him.
To me this sets back consideration for realistic female equality by a very large margin. I definitely will NOT be reading any more books in this series.
November 11, 2020
I honestly don’t know where to start with this book. I have been (im)patiently waiting for the arrival of this and now that it’s here I can honestly say it was definitely worth the wait! The author did NOT disappoint.
Sydney is a teenager, sixteen and a half, who finds herself uprooted from the life she has always known and thrown into a new world full of secrets and dragons with no answers to her questions. She is snarky, intelligent, and has lived more in her short life than most people have their whole lives. She’s used to being treated as an equal. Then there’s Ashe, who is determined, a planner, loyal, sweet, compassionate, and gorgeous. As she goes through her new life she must learn the ins and outs of high school, the Dragonborn community, and who she can believe. Together they must learn to communicate to one another, to lean and trust each other, and so much more. Will they be able to get over the bumps thrown at them?
This book has a little bit of everything! People with hidden agendas, family feuds and royal families, and so much more. It’s an auctioned packed book that sucks you in from page one and hasn’t let me go even know. There’s chemistry and romance, jealousy and rivals, and so much more. Wonderfully written in a way that flows and is impossible to put down. You will NOT be disappointed.
Sydney is a teenager, sixteen and a half, who finds herself uprooted from the life she has always known and thrown into a new world full of secrets and dragons with no answers to her questions. She is snarky, intelligent, and has lived more in her short life than most people have their whole lives. She’s used to being treated as an equal. Then there’s Ashe, who is determined, a planner, loyal, sweet, compassionate, and gorgeous. As she goes through her new life she must learn the ins and outs of high school, the Dragonborn community, and who she can believe. Together they must learn to communicate to one another, to lean and trust each other, and so much more. Will they be able to get over the bumps thrown at them?
This book has a little bit of everything! People with hidden agendas, family feuds and royal families, and so much more. It’s an auctioned packed book that sucks you in from page one and hasn’t let me go even know. There’s chemistry and romance, jealousy and rivals, and so much more. Wonderfully written in a way that flows and is impossible to put down. You will NOT be disappointed.
April 19, 2022
Very interesting. Was not a slow start, grabs your attention right away! Crazy concept, dragonborn, makes me wish I could have a dragon. I dont care for the huge age gap between the main character and her potential mate, but you just can't help but root for them. I cant wait to start the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2023
I don't know where to start.
I guess first, you start off the book feeling like you missed a chapter or five or a prolog. FMC is standing in the snow of a private airstrip. Apparently her father is in a coma, her mom is long dead, and some mysterious grandmother appeared and sent FMC off to a boarding school in an unknown location. Christianson doesn't bring the reader through that set up, just tells you this stuff happened, and much like the FMC you are just dumped at the school. At no point does anymore explain to the FMC or the reader what a dragonborn is, the make up of this supernatural world, or even the school she is now attending. There is no world building or scene setting. It's like Christianson had an idea of where she wanted the story to go and events she wanted to have happen but doesn't know how to lay out those scenes or build the story.
There is no real villain in the story. Part of that is because there is no world building. Her mom was apparently on the run, so maybe the council is evil?? There is the jilted lover of her bonded mate but a short comment of stay away from my boyfriend he will always love me over you and people calling FMC a homewrecker isn't really villain building tension. That's the into to villain. There is a girl who is too friendly, but that doesn't go anywhere. There is a guy who is too interested. But again, other than two very innocent run ins that goes no where. I'm struggling to identify what the challenge and climax of this book was. I assume it was intended to be a counsel meeting that FMC had no idea was happening or the importantance of. Again, if you don't have the world building and the story build up this is going to fall flat, like it did.
There is a two month time skip, you know the two months that FMC is settling in the new school, which is when you would expect to be learning about wtf being dragonborn means, threats to FMC, the strain in her bonded relationship, go through the friend making process with FMC. The reader is left out of all of this. Apparently FMC made two new friends that round out her quad. They are listed in one sentence and then never mentioned again. RIP forgotten besties.
FMC is supposed to be this super important person in their world but half the time she is treated like a prisoner. They both tell her she is free to leave if she wants no part of this but also you can't leave.
One of the most uncomfortable parts of this book is how it seems to be grooming the reader to accept the relationship between a 16 year old and a 23 year old. Look, if you are reading this you've read countless number of books where the supernatural male is usually a hundred or so years older than the FMC and struggles with their five generations or greater age gap. Somehow a relation with a guy who is literally older than dirt comes off as less creepy and inappropriate than the relationship with the FMC and the MMC. The bulk of the story is spent fretting back and forth about how young she is. How old his is. How she is so mature for her age. The age of statutory consent by jurisdiction. Whether she is mature enough to consummate. It's creepy AF.
I finish this. I won't be continuing. There isn't enough character or world building. This incredibly mature FMC is really immature in her dialog and decision making. There is no real tension or villain. Basically age of consent is the only real topic for this. Do not recommend. Do not read.
I guess first, you start off the book feeling like you missed a chapter or five or a prolog. FMC is standing in the snow of a private airstrip. Apparently her father is in a coma, her mom is long dead, and some mysterious grandmother appeared and sent FMC off to a boarding school in an unknown location. Christianson doesn't bring the reader through that set up, just tells you this stuff happened, and much like the FMC you are just dumped at the school. At no point does anymore explain to the FMC or the reader what a dragonborn is, the make up of this supernatural world, or even the school she is now attending. There is no world building or scene setting. It's like Christianson had an idea of where she wanted the story to go and events she wanted to have happen but doesn't know how to lay out those scenes or build the story.
There is no real villain in the story. Part of that is because there is no world building. Her mom was apparently on the run, so maybe the council is evil?? There is the jilted lover of her bonded mate but a short comment of stay away from my boyfriend he will always love me over you and people calling FMC a homewrecker isn't really villain building tension. That's the into to villain. There is a girl who is too friendly, but that doesn't go anywhere. There is a guy who is too interested. But again, other than two very innocent run ins that goes no where. I'm struggling to identify what the challenge and climax of this book was. I assume it was intended to be a counsel meeting that FMC had no idea was happening or the importantance of. Again, if you don't have the world building and the story build up this is going to fall flat, like it did.
There is a two month time skip, you know the two months that FMC is settling in the new school, which is when you would expect to be learning about wtf being dragonborn means, threats to FMC, the strain in her bonded relationship, go through the friend making process with FMC. The reader is left out of all of this. Apparently FMC made two new friends that round out her quad. They are listed in one sentence and then never mentioned again. RIP forgotten besties.
FMC is supposed to be this super important person in their world but half the time she is treated like a prisoner. They both tell her she is free to leave if she wants no part of this but also you can't leave.
One of the most uncomfortable parts of this book is how it seems to be grooming the reader to accept the relationship between a 16 year old and a 23 year old. Look, if you are reading this you've read countless number of books where the supernatural male is usually a hundred or so years older than the FMC and struggles with their five generations or greater age gap. Somehow a relation with a guy who is literally older than dirt comes off as less creepy and inappropriate than the relationship with the FMC and the MMC. The bulk of the story is spent fretting back and forth about how young she is. How old his is. How she is so mature for her age. The age of statutory consent by jurisdiction. Whether she is mature enough to consummate. It's creepy AF.
I finish this. I won't be continuing. There isn't enough character or world building. This incredibly mature FMC is really immature in her dialog and decision making. There is no real tension or villain. Basically age of consent is the only real topic for this. Do not recommend. Do not read.
October 21, 2021
2.5 stars
Pros:
- the presentation of dragons in this story was pretty unique
Cons:
- the FMC is very hard to like
- the age gap between the FMC and MMC is not okay with the high sexual tension. The only reason I didn't DNF this book was because at least Ashe had the intelligence to consistently tell her no.
- there is a ton of telling not showing in this book
- everyone seems to know a lot about Sydney's family but no one feels like sharing actual info with her. It seriously just makes it angsty for no reason, especially when she continues to make sh*t decisions because no one wants to share anything with her.
Biggest issue for me though was the age gap. I can get over big age gaps, and even underage FMCs at the start of a series (I loved the Bargainer series), but the intensity of the sexual energy in this story made it awkward and a little icky. Don't write your virgin 16 year-old FMC as constantly pushing her 23 year-old brand new (read he's a stranger) to have sex with her. And don't write your 23 year-old MMC as only (barely) resisting because she's underage. I get it that they feel the pull of the bond, and I LOVE bonded mates stories, but I feel like the author could have let the relationship develop more organically over the books.
I don't know if I'm going to continue the series...right now I'm not compelled to.
Pros:
- the presentation of dragons in this story was pretty unique
Cons:
- the FMC is very hard to like
- the age gap between the FMC and MMC is not okay with the high sexual tension. The only reason I didn't DNF this book was because at least Ashe had the intelligence to consistently tell her no.
- there is a ton of telling not showing in this book
- everyone seems to know a lot about Sydney's family but no one feels like sharing actual info with her. It seriously just makes it angsty for no reason, especially when she continues to make sh*t decisions because no one wants to share anything with her.
Biggest issue for me though was the age gap. I can get over big age gaps, and even underage FMCs at the start of a series (I loved the Bargainer series), but the intensity of the sexual energy in this story made it awkward and a little icky. Don't write your virgin 16 year-old FMC as constantly pushing her 23 year-old brand new (read he's a stranger) to have sex with her. And don't write your 23 year-old MMC as only (barely) resisting because she's underage. I get it that they feel the pull of the bond, and I LOVE bonded mates stories, but I feel like the author could have let the relationship develop more organically over the books.
I don't know if I'm going to continue the series...right now I'm not compelled to.
December 1, 2021
3 A Female Prime, Like You Stars
Cracked Open is the first book in The Dragon Born Academy series by T. L. Christianson.
I like the general concept behind the plot of this world. I think this first book was SO terribly generic, as to stretch out the mystery of the Mc's future.
The characters are practically on the cusp of this fully matured metric, where they come across more as half formed and pale imitations than anything truly compelling. As with Lacy and the sloppy way in which the author wove her obvious psychosis over the abrupt nature of her relationship ending throughout the web of the culmination of the rest of the story.
Then there's Ashe and Sydney's relationship. Which boggles my mind with how irritating it manifests to be half of the time. Sometimes I will find myself truly enjoying the possibilities with their relationship in an entirely foreign and fictional culture. Alas, the will they/won't they/should they nonsense really drowned everything is bottomless monotony. To the point that I purely can't stomach actually discovering how their story plays out.
It feels as if the author merely used just enough information to barely pass for each character, and plot point within this world building, but has held back everything else to dangle as possibilities and bait for the further novels. Ugh, no thank you.
Cracked Open is the first book in The Dragon Born Academy series by T. L. Christianson.
I like the general concept behind the plot of this world. I think this first book was SO terribly generic, as to stretch out the mystery of the Mc's future.
The characters are practically on the cusp of this fully matured metric, where they come across more as half formed and pale imitations than anything truly compelling. As with Lacy and the sloppy way in which the author wove her obvious psychosis over the abrupt nature of her relationship ending throughout the web of the culmination of the rest of the story.
Then there's Ashe and Sydney's relationship. Which boggles my mind with how irritating it manifests to be half of the time. Sometimes I will find myself truly enjoying the possibilities with their relationship in an entirely foreign and fictional culture. Alas, the will they/won't they/should they nonsense really drowned everything is bottomless monotony. To the point that I purely can't stomach actually discovering how their story plays out.
It feels as if the author merely used just enough information to barely pass for each character, and plot point within this world building, but has held back everything else to dangle as possibilities and bait for the further novels. Ugh, no thank you.
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