Empyrean series #1

*This book contains scenes of explicit sexual acts, violence, murder, and war.

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Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general— also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons wiling to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success, The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone as Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

Okay, I get it. With books like this, it is either worth the hype or a mega letdown. This was worth the hype in my opinion.

Violet had thought she was destined for a life as a Scribe, just like her father. Six months before she was supposed to join the Scribes Quadrant, her mother, a commanding general, tells her she is to become a dragon rider. The most dangerous job on the Continent. Where only about a third even survive through the three-year war college.

With her body frail and prone to break easily, Violet takes the task head on. A first it is in fear of her mother. Knowing that no matter what she did, her mother would drag her back to the Riders Quadrant.

Even her childhood best-friend, Dain, who is a year ahead, thinks it is only a matter of time before Violet gets herself killed. Either by training or a fellow cadet.

The more she accomplishes, the more Violet realizes she is capable. Unfortunately, not everyone sees her survival as a victory. Only prolonging a forgone conclusion.

When Violet’s enemy who has sworn to be the reason for her death turns into her biggest supporter, Violet finds herself in a very confusing time. Not just personally.

Training to be a scribe she knows how the storage of history, knowledge, and information should work. But things are not adding up as they should. Certain news and details are being withheld from the students and general public. Information that could help save lives.

Violet begins to wonder what else isn’t being shared beyond those at the top. During a training exercise, she finds out. Also experiencing how deeply certain prejudices run on the Continent.

This story was very reminiscent of a typical Sarah J Mass epic fantasy. The plot line has plenty of twists and turns as it builds toward its crescendo. Small snippets of information, or Easter Eggs, of things to come, either in this installation or the next. A slow burn, a toxic love, friends, enemies, problems bigger than anyone would guess. Small circumstances really a portion of a large, world altering problem. You know, typical fantasy.

One thing it lacked was world building. I understand the story centers around the main characters, dragons, and potential war. But beyond knowing there is a lake over there, some mountains here, a valley for that, cliffs for this. It is all very mundane and simple and left mostly up to the imagination of the reader.

We get glimpses of the land’s history through Violet having been raised with a scribe mentality. It kept it from becoming skim-able pages of text not many would bother investing time – appreciate that. Beyond that, the world is a bit of a blur and a not-so-magical.

Violet on the other hand, I awesome. She is stronger than she ever imagined. Heart and moral compass strong and a hindrance at times. Easily balancing out those that have learned to compartmentalize all too thoroughly. The one thing that bugged me about her, and yes it is completely trivial and nit-picky; her name.

Violet is not a bad name in general. But, in a fantasy world surrounded by people named Xaden, Riahnnon, Dain, and so forth. Violet is a crack in the overall image of things. I also understand her name is intentional and probably meant to easily highlight her fragility. It almost impugns her character. There is a reason there are no war heroes named Violet.

And her nickname? Violence. Not very fitting. She may have some violent tendencies. But, to be honest, anyone on her position would turn toward violence as well. If not, insanity, or death. Wouldn’t be that far away.

I can’t wait to read the next book, Iron Flame.