Review Detail

DRAGON CURSED is an engaging YA fantasy adventure with a touch of romance. Isola has grown up in the town of Vinguard, living under fear of dragons and being dragon cursed. After an incident where she encountered a dragon, her eyes turned gold and she was proclaimed Valor Reborn, a hero that was supposed to save them all. Through grueling training at the hands of the Vicar who is the ruler of Vinguard and the hefty weight of societal expectations, Isola has struggled and feared that she is not Valor Reborn and instead Dragon Cursed (will turn into a dragon).

Now that she is 18 years old, she must enter the Tribunal, where she and all the other 18-year-old citizens of Vinguard will be pushed to their limits and tortured to find out whether they are dragon cursed. If they are not, they will be gilded and join society. If they are, they are shown "mercy" through death at the hands of the Mercy Knights.

Isola and her best friend Saipha are determined to make it out alive, and when they are offered an alliance with the Vicar's son, Lucan, they reluctantly accept - even if they are not sure whether they can trust him. Together, the three of them will be pushed to their limits and tortured in unbelievable ways all for the supposed safety of Vinguard. However, Isola begins to question what they know and who she is as the Tribunal continues, leaving larger questions about their society and beliefs.

What I loved: The story is told from Isola's perspective, and she is a really easy to like character. She felt 18 - not sure about where or whether she fits into society, challenged by relationships with family, and troubled about her future. Her journey is one of life-and-death in the Tribunal, but also one of self-discovery as she questions the things she has been told and seeks to find her own path outside of parental and societal expectations. This was, in some ways, a bit of a coming-of-age, with some excellent symbolism through the dragons that indicate change and being misunderstood but also freedom.

The Tribunal is an intense set of deadly challenges, both in the official trials as well as the times in between them. For a small city who is already short on population, they fear dragons so much that they are willing to sacrifice as many citizens as they need to find even one who might be dragon cursed. It is a notable wielding of power and over-the-top for-the-greater-good mentality. By taking it to such extremes, this creates many conundrums for Isola, as well as for other citizens who question their actions and responsibilities.

Other themes around loyalty, trust/betrayal, rebellion/following orders, and misuse of power were all really strong throughout. Vinguard keeps knowledge from the citizens in order to control them, like many dystopias and they use ignorance and fear to control the people who live within. While Isola only scratches the surface of the deceptions and mysteries, it seems that more information will be revealed in future books.

The romance was a bit of a slow build, as Isola begins to trust Lucan. They have a challenging past, which is continually challenged during the Tribunal as well. That being said, their pull is magnetic and they seem unable to stay away from each other. This is a low spice read, but it worked well amidst all the dangers of the Tribunal.

There were some really big reveals at the end of the book, some of which were easy to guess and others that were more challenging. Some big questions remain, and the lead in to the next book seems as though readers may get a lot more information soon. I am definitely interested in continuing this series!

Final verdict: DRAGON CURSED is a consuming and intense YA fantasy adventure with a touch of romance that I would highly recommend! This would be perfect for fans of FOURTH WING, DIVERGENT, and FIREBORNE. I can't wait for the next book in the series!