Fireborne

Touches on some incredibly thought-provoking and challenging topics. I came into the story with no expectations and ended up crying at the end. When two sides both have their evils, how can you choose which to side with? I loved Lee, cried with him, empathised with him. I didn't love Antigone (and I think Annie is a blasphemous nickname for such a unique name - but I've never liked the name Annie), but I came to respect her and her decisions in the end. The themes the author wanted to explore were well-executed, and incredibly impressive for a first book. I'm not a fan of dual POVs and am still not, but I think in this case, it lend rather than took away from the message the author wanted to convey.

I think the most disappointing thing was that dragons weren't really integral to the story - you could take them away and replace it with any other element and it would continue to read the same. Labelled as a fantasy, but doesn't really take advantage of fantastical elements.

I didn't love the story, but I think I will with re-reads. Fingers crossed that the sequel remains within lines of expectations.