I really enjoyed this novel in tandem to listening with the audiobook. I believe it’s classed as a romantasy, which I would agree with as the central plot pivots around the relationship between a human and a dragon. I love slow burn and without giving too much away, it had enemies to lovers vibes – and I felt it really delivered! Three POVs, two main and one minor with Arcady, the gender neutral human, and Everen, the last of the male dragons, at the centre of the story. Lam has created a really intriguing and rich world, that I enjoyed reading about. I also really liked and applaud the way Lam built gender neutrality into the world/story. Can't wait for Book 2.

I read this because Robin Hobb recommended it. I didn't think I'd enjoy this quite as much as I did. I certainly didn't expect to like Everen quite as much as I did. I liked the world building, I liked the relationships between the characters. Everything felt earned and real and I had a lot of fun reading this. I also listened to the audiobook and the voice actor who does Everen is absolutely wonderful and really infused life into the character.

Long ago, Dragon's were betrayed by humans and banished to a dying world. Humans now revere Dragon's as gods. But the Dragon's cannot forget and definitely do not forgive. The worldbuilding in this book is epic! I loved the world that was created, especially the decision from the author to introduce us to a world where gender is not forced upon you at birth but rather chosen for yourself. This seems a very modern approach that still, disappointingly, falls short in our environment today but has been displayed beautifully throughout this book. I want to live in this world! What we have is a fantasy with an intricate magic system, that takes a while to get used to, but once I reached that 50% mark, I just could not get enough. So please, bear in mind, it's a slow burn, but it's definitely worth sticking it out, in my opinion. There are a few different POVs told in different perspectives that can take a while to come to terms with but are necessary for the plot of the book. All will be revealed if you just bear with the author here, and once it is, my mind was blown with how well thought out and patient the author must have been to write this book! The character's are well balanced and adapt as we slowly begin to piece together their separate histories and how it all connects together in the end. Be prepared for a rather dramatic reveal that makes you long for the sequel immediately after you've finished reading! It was a very strong opening novel to what could be a fantastic fantasy series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review. I loved this book; the characterization of a dragon, mighty, strong and indomitable, being squished into the body of a human and being absolutely salty about how weak we are. Everen was hilarious and yet the fight he is facing for his species was really sad, and had me really routing for him to destroy everything. Arcady was also someone I really liked as a main character and the chemistry between the two was fantastic. This book had everything; magic, dragons, human, reluctant allies to maybe something more, a heist and a refreshing take on narrative writing.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but I made the awful mistake of coming into it with high expectations. While it was a solid book, it definitely did not meet them. I did appreciate that Lam created not only a queer normative world but a queer celebratory world. It was the little details that stood out to me: the use of hand gestures to express gender identity, the use of magic to alter one's body. It was truly lovely to read. On a more negative note, I feel as if the pacing really held Dragonfall back. Throughout the first 80% I thought I was going to give it at least 4 starts, but the ending really messed that up. Not only did it feel too rushed, but very little felt finished. I understand that it was supposed to be a cliffhanger but I felt as if there was no character development. Arcady is essentially the same, as is Sorin. Everen evolved but we knew this would happen, the book was partially written from his future perspective so we always knew he would grow and change. I finished it and was left feeling unsatisfied. I don’t need a happy ending, I just need an ending in general. I do have to point out that while the plot may not have flowed well, the actual writing and descriptions done by Lam were wonderful. Once again, I have to point out the little details that really helped immerse me into the world, such as Everen using “it” for humans, or describing distance with “wingspans''.