Wow, this book was incredible. The thing is, I'm not even a fantasy girly like that but I picked this up because of all the hype I had been seeing on social media. I am so glad I did! I really wasn't sure if this would be for me, but now I'm obsessed. It was slow to start, but I attribute this to me not really being into fantasy as a genre, but it picked up pretty quickly and there wasn't a second I wasn't completely glued to this story. It has everything you could ever want in a fantasy book and I'm just so impressed by Rebecca Yarros, particularly her world building ability. There was not a stone untured in this book when it came to descriptions and setting up the plot while developing such interesting and complex characters. I also was very plesantly surprised by the chronic illness representaton in this book. Violet has a connective tissue disorder (much like the author herself) and I can definitely relate because I myself have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which is a connective tissue disorder, and it was very similar to our main character's affliction. Violet is such a brave and compassionate but fierce and formidable main character, and she endures so much. I LOVED the dragons and their personalities. Where else can you find dragons that can do what they do? Such an interesting trait to include. This is a slow burn, but it certainly gets spicy and the chemistry between Violet and Xaden is just so palpable and addictive. AND I COULD NOT HAVE PREDICTED THAT ENDING?!?!?! November cannot come fast enough.