Rating: 4 out of 5.

I know I’m late to the party on this book, and I get why it is so popular. Is it perfect? No. But it’s a fun, crazy ride. Books that involve a deadly training academy are my jam. They always have plenty of insane challenges, found family bonding, and of course, the obligatory off-the-chain crazy villain(s). This book has it all – plus dragons!

Violet planned to enter Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. But her ruthless mother, the commanding general of the military, orders her to enter Basgiath War College, which only has two ways out – graduate or die. Violet is tiny, has brittle bones, and then there’s her mother. So, you can imagine how “popular” she is. First among those who want her dead is Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant, and the leader of dozens of children of “traitors” that have been “sacrificed” to the war college to pay for their parent’s sins. He is the epitome of morally grey characters and one bad-ass dude.

War outside the college is raging, making their training more important than ever. Violet has a huge chip on her shoulder so it took awhile for me to warm up to her. It was great to see her become more confidant in herself and open up a bit to Xaden and others. She’s one tough chick and doesn’t know the meaning of stop. The author keeps the reader wondering who is playing Violet and who is being true – including Xaden. The presence of one of Violet’s childhood friends at the college only complicates matters more. There are a lot of dynamics to the school. The students, rivalries, challenges, and instructors. Everything and everyone is out to kill you, which is totally messed up. Then you have the dragons, who have no problem incinerating a student if they sense weakness. The scenes where the dragons choose their riders was intense.

There are a lot of moving parts to this book, which makes for a fast-paced and entertaining read. I can’t get into too many specifics because I don’t want to provide spoilers. The book ends on a huge cliffhanger and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.