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Dragon Isle Wars #1
Court of Dragons
As a daughter of the Dragon Court, Wren knows three truths: never show weakness, pay the tithe, and never trust the elves.
When the enemy strikes on the eve of her wedding, Wren has no choice but to fight. Captured, she's dragged before the elvish king and given two choices.
Death or marriage.
She submits, biding her time as she plots and spies, determined to strike at the heart of the elvish royalty and take back her family's throne once more. But the more time she spends with her dangerous and achingly handsome husband, she finds herself wavering.
Only the strong survive the hash moors of the Dragon Isles, and she can't afford to question her loyalties, leaving only one final choice.
Strike hard and fast. Never waver. It's his heart or hers.
A Court of Dragons is the first book in a new fantasy romance series, inspired by the tales of Beauty and the Beast with Reylo viking vibes. It's perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash, A Deal with The Elf King, and The Bridge Kingdom. If you're looking for enemies to lovers with a delicious slow burn romance, scroll up and read now!
When the enemy strikes on the eve of her wedding, Wren has no choice but to fight. Captured, she's dragged before the elvish king and given two choices.
Death or marriage.
She submits, biding her time as she plots and spies, determined to strike at the heart of the elvish royalty and take back her family's throne once more. But the more time she spends with her dangerous and achingly handsome husband, she finds herself wavering.
Only the strong survive the hash moors of the Dragon Isles, and she can't afford to question her loyalties, leaving only one final choice.
Strike hard and fast. Never waver. It's his heart or hers.
A Court of Dragons is the first book in a new fantasy romance series, inspired by the tales of Beauty and the Beast with Reylo viking vibes. It's perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash, A Deal with The Elf King, and The Bridge Kingdom. If you're looking for enemies to lovers with a delicious slow burn romance, scroll up and read now!
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published November 16, 2021
1201 people are currently reading
12038 people want to read
About the author
Frost Kay
36 books1,399 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author Frost Kay is a certified book dragon with an excessive TBR, and a shoe obsession. If you love bewitching fantasy and sci-fi, epic adventures, dark promises, thrilling action, swoon worthy anti heroes, and slow burning romance; her books are for you!
She claims ownership to the bestselling young adult series The Aermian Feuds packed with adventure, secrets, and betrayal.
Fans of Frost Kay love her epic and science fiction teen titles for their "witty banter and exquisitely crafted sentences (that) never leave you bored or wanting," and "find the writing on par with Queen (Sarah J.) Maas and Elise Kova."
You can find her at www.frostkay.net
You can also sign up for a free story here:goo.gl/Z2PkyC
She claims ownership to the bestselling young adult series The Aermian Feuds packed with adventure, secrets, and betrayal.
Fans of Frost Kay love her epic and science fiction teen titles for their "witty banter and exquisitely crafted sentences (that) never leave you bored or wanting," and "find the writing on par with Queen (Sarah J.) Maas and Elise Kova."
You can find her at www.frostkay.net
You can also sign up for a free story here:goo.gl/Z2PkyC
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 711 reviews
January 9, 2023
✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Arranged marriage
✅ Captive/captor
✅ Plot (ideas) - 🆗❌ Development of the plot
✅🆗 Characters
🆗 world-building
🆗 Pace
🆗 Not enough dragons
🆗❌ Relationships / Romance
This book was underwhelming. 😞
Wren's family and island fall under siege on the very day of her wedding. Just as she is about to officially get married to the man she loves, they are attacked by the dark elves, and Wren has to watch as her family gets murdered. Taken by the elves, she is brought back as their prisoner to be wed to their king so he can get control over the Dragon Isles.
I loved the plot, but the development and execution were lacking big time. It was all telling and no showing and because of that I struggled to connect to the character or to be empathetic and care about them. Everything happened so fast, that I didn't have the time to really enjoy it. Wren's family was attacked and killed just after they were introduced to the book so I did not feel sad about that, and her whole "relationship" with Arrick was poorly developed.
Let's talk about the romance, or rather the lack of romance and significant interactions between the two main characters...We know that they spent time together because it is written in the book, but it is not detailed or developed, so I did not feel anything between them except mistrust and hate coming from Wren and curiosity with a hint of desire coming from Arrick. I would not call this a hate-to-love relationship at all. It more a hate-to-still-hate-you-but-kinda-might-need-you-on-my-side.
Wren and Arrick are your usual fantasy/YA main characters. They are not bad, but they are not very original or unexpected either. She is fierce and strong with a fiery temper to match her fiery hair, and he is the Beast that everyone despises and fears, but deep down he is a valiant man that only wants what's good for his kingdom (and also to get rid of his evil dad).
I will say though that this is a quick read with a fast pace (too fast to my taste, but that's a matter of personal preferences). So many things happen in so few pages, I would have loved a few calmer moments just to catch my breath. The writing is not bad either, it's really just the lack of depth to the characters and the poor development of the relationships that killed it for me. This book would definitely have been better if it had 100 more pages to elaborate on Wren's time as a prisoner and as Arrick's wife. Even having more insight into her life prior to being a captive would have been interesting and would have allowed me to feel more empathy for her.
The world-building is interesting, but we don't know much about the land, the history, or even the politics except for the map at the beginning of the book and the fact that Wren's people are on not-so-friendly terms with the dark elves. There are so many isles and places on the map, but they are never mentioned in the story...
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✅ Arranged marriage
✅ Captive/captor
✅ Plot (ideas) - 🆗❌ Development of the plot
✅🆗 Characters
🆗 world-building
🆗 Pace
🆗 Not enough dragons
🆗❌ Relationships / Romance
The fables say we are all born from the flora and fauna of the world. It’s a pretty thought for bedtime stories, but I know the truth.
We were born from greed, jealousy, selfishness, and desperation.
We were born warriors
This book was underwhelming. 😞
Wren's family and island fall under siege on the very day of her wedding. Just as she is about to officially get married to the man she loves, they are attacked by the dark elves, and Wren has to watch as her family gets murdered. Taken by the elves, she is brought back as their prisoner to be wed to their king so he can get control over the Dragon Isles.
I loved the plot, but the development and execution were lacking big time. It was all telling and no showing and because of that I struggled to connect to the character or to be empathetic and care about them. Everything happened so fast, that I didn't have the time to really enjoy it. Wren's family was attacked and killed just after they were introduced to the book so I did not feel sad about that, and her whole "relationship" with Arrick was poorly developed.
It was done. She was married to the man who annihilated her family.
Let's talk about the romance, or rather the lack of romance and significant interactions between the two main characters...We know that they spent time together because it is written in the book, but it is not detailed or developed, so I did not feel anything between them except mistrust and hate coming from Wren and curiosity with a hint of desire coming from Arrick. I would not call this a hate-to-love relationship at all. It more a hate-to-still-hate-you-but-kinda-might-need-you-on-my-side.
Wren and Arrick are your usual fantasy/YA main characters. They are not bad, but they are not very original or unexpected either. She is fierce and strong with a fiery temper to match her fiery hair, and he is the Beast that everyone despises and fears, but deep down he is a valiant man that only wants what's good for his kingdom (and also to get rid of his evil dad).
I will say though that this is a quick read with a fast pace (too fast to my taste, but that's a matter of personal preferences). So many things happen in so few pages, I would have loved a few calmer moments just to catch my breath. The writing is not bad either, it's really just the lack of depth to the characters and the poor development of the relationships that killed it for me. This book would definitely have been better if it had 100 more pages to elaborate on Wren's time as a prisoner and as Arrick's wife. Even having more insight into her life prior to being a captive would have been interesting and would have allowed me to feel more empathy for her.
The world-building is interesting, but we don't know much about the land, the history, or even the politics except for the map at the beginning of the book and the fact that Wren's people are on not-so-friendly terms with the dark elves. There are so many isles and places on the map, but they are never mentioned in the story...
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November 13, 2021
This book has so many problems that I was difficult to even read.
First of all, the character have no characterization, it was so hard to try and be empathic. Even though Wren could have been a great character, she felt short at the beginning for me.
Secondly, the book itself was badly written
Too fast, I didn't have time to really feel anything and I just read it like it was a newspaper.
I'm so sad this book was this bad, because the plot I actually enjoyed and I could even say that, despite a few cliches, there were many original things to it.
I'm gonna give it two stars just because I love the dragons in it, but it could as well been 1 star.
First of all, the character have no characterization, it was so hard to try and be empathic. Even though Wren could have been a great character, she felt short at the beginning for me.
Secondly, the book itself was badly written
Too fast, I didn't have time to really feel anything and I just read it like it was a newspaper.
I'm so sad this book was this bad, because the plot I actually enjoyed and I could even say that, despite a few cliches, there were many original things to it.
I'm gonna give it two stars just because I love the dragons in it, but it could as well been 1 star.
April 12, 2022
Well now this is a serious enemies to lovers...but considering the H I wonder how the heck the author is going to make their assumed romance work in upcoming books?
For moi--I don't care if he's build like a brick house, the hottest guy I've ever seen, or great in the sack...nothing short of him turning back time would stop me from making him suffer the same fate👋
So yeah. I dunno.
I liked the quick story but it felt a bit rushed overall.
For moi--I don't care if he's build like a brick house, the hottest guy I've ever seen, or great in the sack...nothing short of him turning back time would stop me from making him suffer the same fate👋
So yeah. I dunno.
I liked the quick story but it felt a bit rushed overall.
October 31, 2021
2⭐️ some minor spoilers ahead
DNF. This book needed a lot more work. It was unoriginal and cliched, with awkward writing and dialogue and so much repetition that it made it hard to read. A good copy edit was definitely needed. The phrase ‘on accident’ is a pet peeve of mine and to see it in a fantasy book irked me even more. SPAG errors aside, too much happened in the first few chapters (after the first 3-4 absolutely dragging) that I just didn’t care about because we’d barely got to know the characters yet.
Then two seconds after all the stuff that goes down, the MC is thinking about the dimples etc on the handsome guy who just killed her entire family and most of her kingdom. It was too ridiculous. Then the guy is like ‘ I’m a cold ruthless monster but I’m drawn to the red headed savage who is apparently allowed to fight even though she’s a woman. I like that. I want to break her’ – biggest cliche in the book but it just wasn’t done well.
I knew right from the get-go that I was going to struggle with this book just because of the tone and the MC was immediately irritating. There were a lot of minor contradictions in the first chapters too like she says her mum has a scarred face but suddenly it’s her neck and initially she knows how she got the scars and then she has to ask because she doesn’t know? Stuff like that.
Sadly this was sloppy on all fronts editorially and needed a lot of work. This ruined the reading experience for me and ended up not being my cup of tea.
DNF. This book needed a lot more work. It was unoriginal and cliched, with awkward writing and dialogue and so much repetition that it made it hard to read. A good copy edit was definitely needed. The phrase ‘on accident’ is a pet peeve of mine and to see it in a fantasy book irked me even more. SPAG errors aside, too much happened in the first few chapters (after the first 3-4 absolutely dragging) that I just didn’t care about because we’d barely got to know the characters yet.
Then two seconds after all the stuff that goes down, the MC is thinking about the dimples etc on the handsome guy who just killed her entire family and most of her kingdom. It was too ridiculous. Then the guy is like ‘ I’m a cold ruthless monster but I’m drawn to the red headed savage who is apparently allowed to fight even though she’s a woman. I like that. I want to break her’ – biggest cliche in the book but it just wasn’t done well.
I knew right from the get-go that I was going to struggle with this book just because of the tone and the MC was immediately irritating. There were a lot of minor contradictions in the first chapters too like she says her mum has a scarred face but suddenly it’s her neck and initially she knows how she got the scars and then she has to ask because she doesn’t know? Stuff like that.
Sadly this was sloppy on all fronts editorially and needed a lot of work. This ruined the reading experience for me and ended up not being my cup of tea.
June 8, 2022
So this author is currently facing a plagiarism issue on her other book called The Chosen, for more details, please go on twitter or copy and paste this link https://twitter.com/JeanBeanReads/sta...
dnf
October 27, 2022DNF At around an hour and a half (audio book)
Where to start with this bomb that inadvertently fell in my lap...
The story was meh. It had A LOT of potential but fell short. It didn't keep my attention. I was bored 30 minutes in. The characters are as deep as a puddle. The author expected me to love the heroine's family and lover while . Yeah I'm noping out of that, thanks though.
While reading through a few reviews on Goodreads I found out that this author is involved in plagiarism of another author's book. As an avid reader and lover of fiction, I choose to not associate myself with people who willingly choose to undermine their fellow authors. Being in the industry is hard enough as it is (to even get your foot in the door) we don't need fellow authors sabotaging authors. You can see proof here and here. From this point on I refuse to support this author.
Where to start with this bomb that inadvertently fell in my lap...
The story was meh. It had A LOT of potential but fell short. It didn't keep my attention. I was bored 30 minutes in. The characters are as deep as a puddle. The author expected me to love the heroine's family and lover while . Yeah I'm noping out of that, thanks though.
While reading through a few reviews on Goodreads I found out that this author is involved in plagiarism of another author's book. As an avid reader and lover of fiction, I choose to not associate myself with people who willingly choose to undermine their fellow authors. Being in the industry is hard enough as it is (to even get your foot in the door) we don't need fellow authors sabotaging authors. You can see proof here and here. From this point on I refuse to support this author.
March 8, 2022
3.5 stars. Overall it was fun but boy was that ending RUSHED. Needed another 50 pages.
March 2, 2022
3.75✨
they caught feelings WAYY too fast. enemies to lovers but insta love😔💔
i know it’s short but slow burns>>>
the bookish box edition🤌🏼
they caught feelings WAYY too fast. enemies to lovers but insta love😔💔
i know it’s short but slow burns>>>
the bookish box edition🤌🏼
June 15, 2024
• arranged marriage/marriage of convenience
• enemies to lovers with knife to the throat
• dragon baddie
I want to continue with the series because the plot is interesting and I LOVE a “I’m going to hunt you down” trope, but these characters are pretty flat. I don’t feel super connected to anyone but the dragons are intriguing and the plot is juicy.
• enemies to lovers with knife to the throat
• dragon baddie
I want to continue with the series because the plot is interesting and I LOVE a “I’m going to hunt you down” trope, but these characters are pretty flat. I don’t feel super connected to anyone but the dragons are intriguing and the plot is juicy.
October 22, 2021
One intriguing plot with exciting characters and one gorgeous cover! This is a tragic tale of crushing loss, heart wrenching scenes, surprising deception, political maneuvers and knowing your enemy. Frost Kay writes with wit and snark and there is something so alluring about an author who can create worlds and keep it clean. It's so refreshing!
When Wren's whole world, along with her dreams, crashes and burns, she's left with a difficult choice. Marry the enemy or die. She holds out hope that she'll be able to enact her revenge and makes some brave choices.
Arrik is muscle, determination and brains too! He's the perfect package and very swoon-worthy. His attraction and protective vibe towards Wren is just delicious! Hello Mr. MCHotty! Dude can bring the smolder.
I can't wait for the next book! This is addictive and brilliantly written. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!
When Wren's whole world, along with her dreams, crashes and burns, she's left with a difficult choice. Marry the enemy or die. She holds out hope that she'll be able to enact her revenge and makes some brave choices.
Arrik is muscle, determination and brains too! He's the perfect package and very swoon-worthy. His attraction and protective vibe towards Wren is just delicious! Hello Mr. MCHotty! Dude can bring the smolder.
I can't wait for the next book! This is addictive and brilliantly written. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!
March 8, 2024
The idea is great. The execution is lacking. This book was pretty much just exposition
December 26, 2021
4.5 STARS
I legit just read this entire book in one sitting and now I’m trying to figure out how to survive the wait for the next book! Gah! I didn’t see this coming, but what a thrilling ride and amazing cliffy. I’m hooked!
Here’s what I loved:
Wren is an amazing character. She’s lost so much in such a short amount of time, but her fiery nature never wanes. She a fighter through and through. I love strong heroine ps and she’s by far one of the best.
Arrik is unexpected. The dark prince ypu can’t help but root for. I seriously can’t wait to see how their relationship grows.
Dragons! Yea, that I need to say. Lol
I love the toxic nature of the court. They are truly a den of vipers and I have no idea who Wren should trust. Very well done!
Overall, it’s a thrilling and wild ride that I can’t wait to jump back on. The only thing I don’t like is having to wait a year for the next installment. Guess I’ll go binge more books by this author to pass the time. Lol
I legit just read this entire book in one sitting and now I’m trying to figure out how to survive the wait for the next book! Gah! I didn’t see this coming, but what a thrilling ride and amazing cliffy. I’m hooked!
Here’s what I loved:
Wren is an amazing character. She’s lost so much in such a short amount of time, but her fiery nature never wanes. She a fighter through and through. I love strong heroine ps and she’s by far one of the best.
Arrik is unexpected. The dark prince ypu can’t help but root for. I seriously can’t wait to see how their relationship grows.
Dragons! Yea, that I need to say. Lol
I love the toxic nature of the court. They are truly a den of vipers and I have no idea who Wren should trust. Very well done!
Overall, it’s a thrilling and wild ride that I can’t wait to jump back on. The only thing I don’t like is having to wait a year for the next installment. Guess I’ll go binge more books by this author to pass the time. Lol
January 9, 2022
I feel bad but my main thought while reading this was about how quickly I could get through it once I realized the problems.
I’m just gonna list what didn’t work for me. Spoilers below.
The characterization: where is it? I had no idea any of the goals, personalities, desires and drives, beyond the big glaring immediate ones for ANY of the characters. I couldn’t connect to them because they felt like puppets in the scenario.
The dialogue. Half the time I read the statement and response aloud to see if it sounded like things humans would say and they just… never fit. One scene in particular, when Arrik is like “you have to trust me” and Wren just keeps making random statements “I am your wife in word only” “I hate you” etc etc - it just didn’t feel like natural dialogue at all to me.
For a romance - these two have like no shared time together on page - every conversation they have is about putting up with each other and “you’re going to need to trust me” with not a lick of development on anything that would make me go “yes I want a romance here.” She likes his dimples and looks at him half naked, and he likes that’s she’s sassy- that’s it. I need much, much more than that. Almost every other named character has more they talk to Wren about than her love interest.
The pacing. The book skips any development between Wren and Arrik for seemingly no reason and has her leave before they have a single bonding moment. Forty percent of the book before she’s married off to him and somehow in the remaining sixty they don’t have a benevolent talk once. Too much focus on things that don’t matter (like having characters all say the same things, taking up pages just to talk about how Wren is a tomboy) and not enough on things that would make me care about the story.
The world building is wonky. They’re a subdued nation that has to pay tithes to the elves but they have a legion of dragon riders and each dragon is a huge danger to swarms of fighters? I’ll admit this is the bit I’m fuzziest on cause sometimes my brain just turns off in fight scenes, but it seems to weird that the elves look down on the only place with dragons so much - I was hoping they’d play a bigger role. Also, Wren talks about “not letting them get their hands on her dragons” and then drops that completely and finds a new dragon in their land.
Iunno - this was a cool idea but the execution failed for me in most places, so I won’t be reading on.
I’m just gonna list what didn’t work for me. Spoilers below.
The characterization: where is it? I had no idea any of the goals, personalities, desires and drives, beyond the big glaring immediate ones for ANY of the characters. I couldn’t connect to them because they felt like puppets in the scenario.
The dialogue. Half the time I read the statement and response aloud to see if it sounded like things humans would say and they just… never fit. One scene in particular, when Arrik is like “you have to trust me” and Wren just keeps making random statements “I am your wife in word only” “I hate you” etc etc - it just didn’t feel like natural dialogue at all to me.
For a romance - these two have like no shared time together on page - every conversation they have is about putting up with each other and “you’re going to need to trust me” with not a lick of development on anything that would make me go “yes I want a romance here.” She likes his dimples and looks at him half naked, and he likes that’s she’s sassy- that’s it. I need much, much more than that. Almost every other named character has more they talk to Wren about than her love interest.
The pacing. The book skips any development between Wren and Arrik for seemingly no reason and has her leave before they have a single bonding moment. Forty percent of the book before she’s married off to him and somehow in the remaining sixty they don’t have a benevolent talk once. Too much focus on things that don’t matter (like having characters all say the same things, taking up pages just to talk about how Wren is a tomboy) and not enough on things that would make me care about the story.
The world building is wonky. They’re a subdued nation that has to pay tithes to the elves but they have a legion of dragon riders and each dragon is a huge danger to swarms of fighters? I’ll admit this is the bit I’m fuzziest on cause sometimes my brain just turns off in fight scenes, but it seems to weird that the elves look down on the only place with dragons so much - I was hoping they’d play a bigger role. Also, Wren talks about “not letting them get their hands on her dragons” and then drops that completely and finds a new dragon in their land.
Iunno - this was a cool idea but the execution failed for me in most places, so I won’t be reading on.
January 4, 2022
Not necessarily bad plot wise, but I was very annoyed by the use of "mum", "papa", "sissy" and "beastie". The MC is 19 years old......
June 17, 2024
3.5 ☆
this was so fast paced, i think I would’ve enjoyed it more if it was a little more fleshed out 🐉
the nickname ‘little dragon’ 😢
“i am the only thing standing between the enemy and our dragons, i will not fail” badass girly pop vibes 💅🏼
“a person with nothing to lose was dangerous”
“men could take many things, but they couldn’t take your spirit if you didn’t let them”
this was so fast paced, i think I would’ve enjoyed it more if it was a little more fleshed out 🐉
the nickname ‘little dragon’ 😢
“i am the only thing standing between the enemy and our dragons, i will not fail” badass girly pop vibes 💅🏼
“a person with nothing to lose was dangerous”
“men could take many things, but they couldn’t take your spirit if you didn’t let them”
November 28, 2021
This action-packed book has everything needed for a successful YA fantasy including a fierce heroine, and a sexy enemy elf. Oh, and DRAGONS. The plot moves very fast with little breathing room, so get your inhaler ready. We get a sense from the very start that things are not going to go well for Wren, and that sense of foreboding kept me white-knuckling the pages. The only gripe I do have is the ending which leaves a bit to be desired.
The writing flows easily and the pacing was spot-on. I think teens will have a blast reading this one, and will definitely make a great Christmas gift for those who love fantasy. Also, LOOK AT THAT COVER? I cannot stop staring at Arrik's butt and I'm not sorry. Not at all.
The writing flows easily and the pacing was spot-on. I think teens will have a blast reading this one, and will definitely make a great Christmas gift for those who love fantasy. Also, LOOK AT THAT COVER? I cannot stop staring at Arrik's butt and I'm not sorry. Not at all.
March 16, 2022
Loved!! The Dragon's, enemies to lovers?.., and witty banter was chefs kiss💖 This book surprised me in the best way. Give it a chance, you will love it.
November 17, 2021
This story started with a strong opening, it was suppose to be a beautiful memorable day for Wren but, it turn into the worst nightmare she ever had because the enemy invade her home and slaughtered almost everyone on the island.
I really like the plot, it was well written. It was a quick read, the story was easy to understand and great characters as well.
Despite all of that, I wish the book was longer so it was given more room for exploration and development on the characters and world building in this story.
I feel really sad for Wren, her suffering keeps increasing throughout the story. She's a very strong women, she try to keep herself together even though she was breaking from the inside.
I wish there are more exploration on Wren's grief in this book considering she went through a lot of difficult things. But, we'll probably see that in the next book when she finally had the time to process everything.
Arrik, is a mysterious character. I don't really know where he actually stands. His character confuses me and before I had the time to figure something out, the book ended. Which is part of the reason why I wanted to have the second book right now!
I really like the way Arrik and Wren's relationship went in this story, they weren't instantly on to each other. There's a process in it where they're trying to know each other and come to an understanding. I'm hoping to see more development on their relationship.
The ending feel a bit rushed, but I guess that's what makes this one left the readers with more questions especially about Arrik's true intention with Wren. I cannot wait for the second book to know the truth about Arrik and how the plot is going to go with the rebellion.
Overall, this is a very quick and short read. I finish it in just a few hours and I was surprised that the book was quite short. This book has a lot of potentials, it just needed a bit more exploration because the material is already there.
I'm looking forward for the next book in this series!
Actual rating: 3.5⭐
A massive thank you to the author, Frost Kay for providing me this beautiful e-ARC through Bookofmatchesmedia in exchange for an honest review !
I really like the plot, it was well written. It was a quick read, the story was easy to understand and great characters as well.
Despite all of that, I wish the book was longer so it was given more room for exploration and development on the characters and world building in this story.
I feel really sad for Wren, her suffering keeps increasing throughout the story. She's a very strong women, she try to keep herself together even though she was breaking from the inside.
I wish there are more exploration on Wren's grief in this book considering she went through a lot of difficult things. But, we'll probably see that in the next book when she finally had the time to process everything.
Arrik, is a mysterious character. I don't really know where he actually stands. His character confuses me and before I had the time to figure something out, the book ended. Which is part of the reason why I wanted to have the second book right now!
I really like the way Arrik and Wren's relationship went in this story, they weren't instantly on to each other. There's a process in it where they're trying to know each other and come to an understanding. I'm hoping to see more development on their relationship.
The ending feel a bit rushed, but I guess that's what makes this one left the readers with more questions especially about Arrik's true intention with Wren. I cannot wait for the second book to know the truth about Arrik and how the plot is going to go with the rebellion.
Overall, this is a very quick and short read. I finish it in just a few hours and I was surprised that the book was quite short. This book has a lot of potentials, it just needed a bit more exploration because the material is already there.
I'm looking forward for the next book in this series!
Actual rating: 3.5⭐
A massive thank you to the author, Frost Kay for providing me this beautiful e-ARC through Bookofmatchesmedia in exchange for an honest review !
December 30, 2021
I hate Arrick. I don't care what kind of redemption arc, or hidden good guy crap the author has planned. He's disgusting. The little bits of humanity he shows don't overcome the fact that he's still a sexist, manipulative, selfish, asshole. He is a twisted version of the "nice guy." A guy who thinks he's actually good at heart, and is trying to save his people, and all that crap, but he really only cares about himself. I don't care what anyone else says: any guy who wants to "break" or "tame" or force a woman to "surrender" is not a good guy. The attraction between him and Wren is so forced. Wren at least has some sense and I was happy with how she fights him throughout the whole book, but I have no interest in reading about her falling for him. I'm also convinced that Rowen is actually alive and is either gonna get his heart broken or turn out to be the traitor. Either outcome is not worth reading. Leif was the only character whose future I'm actually interested in.
August 31, 2022
This was good, I wasn’t blown away but I did enjoy it a lot and I definitely want to continue the series.
The main character is really cool, she’s brave and tenacious and I enjoyed her escape.
The romance is a good enemies to lovers with plenty of loathing and attempted murder which is always fun in love!
I’m gutted there wasn’t more dragon action for a book or this name I really do hope there is a lot more of that to come.
World building was fine for purpose but does have that start to a series feel; there is so much that can be built on so I have high expectations of book two!
The main character is really cool, she’s brave and tenacious and I enjoyed her escape.
The romance is a good enemies to lovers with plenty of loathing and attempted murder which is always fun in love!
I’m gutted there wasn’t more dragon action for a book or this name I really do hope there is a lot more of that to come.
World building was fine for purpose but does have that start to a series feel; there is so much that can be built on so I have high expectations of book two!
January 12, 2022
3,5*
The beginning was sweet, I knew something was going to happen but I didn’t know so many side characters were going to get killed and for my opinion it was too much too soon.
Because of that I felt a distance to a main character and still, I have mixed towards him even though the ending made me feel more sympathetic towards him.
What I liked especially about this book is the writing style and the world building. There was not much dragons in it but it made me curious enough to want to read the second book in this series.
The beginning was sweet, I knew something was going to happen but I didn’t know so many side characters were going to get killed and for my opinion it was too much too soon.
Because of that I felt a distance to a main character and still, I have mixed towards him even though the ending made me feel more sympathetic towards him.
What I liked especially about this book is the writing style and the world building. There was not much dragons in it but it made me curious enough to want to read the second book in this series.
December 21, 2021
Oh man Frost nearly broke me with this one.
I have read just about everything Frost has ever written, I love her that much. I'm used to her heroine's getting put through the works. But Wren! Poor Wren!!
I loved this from the very begining and need more of it in my life ASAP.
This is an enemies to lovers NA High Fantasy but the romance is more of a sub plot, Frost does this so well in her books (look at me writing Frost like we buds on a first name basis haha) so fantasy lovers that aren't huge on the romance genre, don't let that deter you from reading this.
I love when authors write what's in their heart solely because they want to write it. It is evident that was the case with this one. The world building is great, the characters are well built and as a first book in the series, gives us enough to know who characters are and their individual quirks etc, but only hint at their true motives in some cases.
Wren was my girl!!! And even though I know she's gonna be put through the ringer before this series concludes she is one of my favourite FMCs of 2021.
Also, this cover!!!! The most beautiful cover I own!! Easily!!
Oh and that ending. Frost has a way of ending her books that make you froth for the next one. Which I need....yesterday.
I have read just about everything Frost has ever written, I love her that much. I'm used to her heroine's getting put through the works. But Wren! Poor Wren!!
I loved this from the very begining and need more of it in my life ASAP.
This is an enemies to lovers NA High Fantasy but the romance is more of a sub plot, Frost does this so well in her books (look at me writing Frost like we buds on a first name basis haha) so fantasy lovers that aren't huge on the romance genre, don't let that deter you from reading this.
I love when authors write what's in their heart solely because they want to write it. It is evident that was the case with this one. The world building is great, the characters are well built and as a first book in the series, gives us enough to know who characters are and their individual quirks etc, but only hint at their true motives in some cases.
Wren was my girl!!! And even though I know she's gonna be put through the ringer before this series concludes she is one of my favourite FMCs of 2021.
Also, this cover!!!! The most beautiful cover I own!! Easily!!
Oh and that ending. Frost has a way of ending her books that make you froth for the next one. Which I need....yesterday.
July 11, 2022
I see the bad reviews but i have to say i really enjoyed the book.
I just liked it. I really enjoyed the story about Wren. It's not high fantasy, but that's exactly what I enjoyed.
I'm really looking forward to book 2 and I'm very excited to see what happens next.
Good story and very suitable for anyone who might want to start reading in English. Very easily written and like I said I really enjoyed the story.
I just liked it. I really enjoyed the story about Wren. It's not high fantasy, but that's exactly what I enjoyed.
I'm really looking forward to book 2 and I'm very excited to see what happens next.
Good story and very suitable for anyone who might want to start reading in English. Very easily written and like I said I really enjoyed the story.
April 18, 2022
When the Dragon isle is attacked on Wren's wedding day, she has to make a difficult choice to save the isle. Death or marriage!
Court of Dragons by Frost Kay is a ya fantasy that you don't want to put down. It is truly one of those books to cozy up with and read all day. It doesnt have major high stakes but you do go through the stress and anger the fmc goes through. It has found family, forced marriage, slow burn, rebellions and dragons!!!
Fave passage: "I don't believe you" she said
"You don't have to. The truth doesn't change because you refuse to accept reality"
Check out more @jennys_library on IG
Court of Dragons by Frost Kay is a ya fantasy that you don't want to put down. It is truly one of those books to cozy up with and read all day. It doesnt have major high stakes but you do go through the stress and anger the fmc goes through. It has found family, forced marriage, slow burn, rebellions and dragons!!!
Fave passage: "I don't believe you" she said
"You don't have to. The truth doesn't change because you refuse to accept reality"
Check out more @jennys_library on IG
January 15, 2024
3.75 stars!
November 6, 2021
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via BookOfMatchesMedia. It was my choice to read and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
Wow, it was incredible. This is the first book I've read by Frost Kay. After I saw this gorgeous cover revealed through a Book of Matches Media cover reveal Instagram tour, I knew I needed to read it and I was so excited to be chosen for the ARC reader team.
I was hooked from the beginning and will be so excited to read book 2, any other books in the series, and everything else written by Frost Kay.
With a Dragon book both in the title and in the description, you never know how many actual interactions with dragons you will get. I was happy with the amount of dragon interaction. It wasn't too much to overshadow the characters or too little that makes you wonder why the word is in the title and synopsis. Also, I loved that the Elves are ruthless, I am more intrigued with Fantasy that has this element of danger. I was surprised multiple times throughout the plot which is important to me and makes me like a book more.
I recommend it to readers who love fantasy with a determined, fearless heroine, kingdom politics & intrigue/warring nations, dragons, betrayal/royal coups, and well-written action sequences.
On the Book of Matches Media email that ARC readers receive, the comparable authors/books are: From Blood and Ash, A Deal with the Elf King, The Bridge Kingdom. Out of those I've read From Blood and Ash and The Bridge Kingdom. Court of Dragons is WAY better than From Blood and Ash and when I read the synopsis it did remind me of The Bridge Kingdom but in actually reading, there are a lot of differences. Still, I can see the inspiration while reading but, it's different enough that I wasn't frustrated by the aspects I found similar.
Disability Representation: MC’s little sister--neurodivergent (autism?) representation.
Wow, it was incredible. This is the first book I've read by Frost Kay. After I saw this gorgeous cover revealed through a Book of Matches Media cover reveal Instagram tour, I knew I needed to read it and I was so excited to be chosen for the ARC reader team.
I was hooked from the beginning and will be so excited to read book 2, any other books in the series, and everything else written by Frost Kay.
With a Dragon book both in the title and in the description, you never know how many actual interactions with dragons you will get. I was happy with the amount of dragon interaction. It wasn't too much to overshadow the characters or too little that makes you wonder why the word is in the title and synopsis. Also, I loved that the Elves are ruthless, I am more intrigued with Fantasy that has this element of danger. I was surprised multiple times throughout the plot which is important to me and makes me like a book more.
I recommend it to readers who love fantasy with a determined, fearless heroine, kingdom politics & intrigue/warring nations, dragons, betrayal/royal coups, and well-written action sequences.
On the Book of Matches Media email that ARC readers receive, the comparable authors/books are: From Blood and Ash, A Deal with the Elf King, The Bridge Kingdom. Out of those I've read From Blood and Ash and The Bridge Kingdom. Court of Dragons is WAY better than From Blood and Ash and when I read the synopsis it did remind me of The Bridge Kingdom but in actually reading, there are a lot of differences. Still, I can see the inspiration while reading but, it's different enough that I wasn't frustrated by the aspects I found similar.
Disability Representation: MC’s little sister--neurodivergent (autism?) representation.
November 22, 2021
3.5 stars
I mean its good but nothing much happens in this book but its good! Doesn't harm that it's a quick read too. What matters the most is THAT GORGEOUS COVER like wow!❤️✨
I mean its good but nothing much happens in this book but its good! Doesn't harm that it's a quick read too. What matters the most is THAT GORGEOUS COVER like wow!❤️✨
February 8, 2025
4.5 stars. This book started off a little slow and I almost debated DNFing but I’m so glad I continued! It ended up being really good and I was really interested in the way the story is going and it had some twists and turns I wasn’t expecting. It does end off on a cliffhanger but I definitely want to continue reading at some point. I listened to the audiobook and would recommend!
October 11, 2021
I received an ecopy from he author for free. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.
Let me start this review off by say that I love Frost Kay as an author. I have read most of what she has put out so I was not sure that she could top any of her series already published....Well I am here to say that she absolutely did! This book is INCREDIBLE. The writing was flawless and the action was intense. The fight scenes were so well written that I felt like I was in them. Place this book on your TBR as soon as possible because you do not want to miss this series!
The is book 1 in the Dragon Isles War series and follows Wren. Wren is the adoptive daughter of the King of the Dragon Court. She is captured on the day of her wedding and thrust into the diabolical court of the Elves. She is given one choice...Marry the King or Die. What follows is an intense ride through court politics, intrigue, betrayal and DRAGONS! This book is not one to miss. I loved every second of this book and look forward to the next in the series! I give this book 5 dragon worthy stars!
Let me start this review off by say that I love Frost Kay as an author. I have read most of what she has put out so I was not sure that she could top any of her series already published....Well I am here to say that she absolutely did! This book is INCREDIBLE. The writing was flawless and the action was intense. The fight scenes were so well written that I felt like I was in them. Place this book on your TBR as soon as possible because you do not want to miss this series!
The is book 1 in the Dragon Isles War series and follows Wren. Wren is the adoptive daughter of the King of the Dragon Court. She is captured on the day of her wedding and thrust into the diabolical court of the Elves. She is given one choice...Marry the King or Die. What follows is an intense ride through court politics, intrigue, betrayal and DRAGONS! This book is not one to miss. I loved every second of this book and look forward to the next in the series! I give this book 5 dragon worthy stars!
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