Fireborne was one of my unexpected favorites of 2020, and while I had high hopes for Flamefall, it still managed to blow all those hopes out of the water.

I still find the overall concept of this series extremely unique, and love that it focuses on what happens after the revolution happens, not just the build up to it. This series details how easy it is to fall back into the same patterns you once fought against, to pick the same unfair resolutions to problems of poverty, hunger, and more. It questions what is fair, and if the mindset of 'doing whatever it takes' is actually a good one.

And yet, this book doesn't just tackle these big questions surrounding societies and how they rise and fall. It also has a fantastic cast of characters, a riveting plot, an in-depth world, and of course, dragons.

If the social commentary wasn't enough, Annie and Lee (and now Griff) are such flawed yet interesting characters to keep you invested anyways. You get to watch all these characters grow and change, stumble as they make mistakes and try to learn from there (or instead get more stubborn in their resolve). You feel their pain when they lose those around them, either due to those mistakes or to things beyond their control. In the end, you feel such a strong connection to these characters that they almost feel real.

Additionally, I loved how the plot of the story and history of the world melded together to create an ongoing story between all these nations. They all struggle with different forms of oppression, and all choose to handle it (or not handle it) in different ways. Griff may be in a different region from Lee and Annie, but still deals with the same larger questions, especially regarding what he's willing to do for his freedom, and what he's willing to give up for the greater cause.

And even if all this somehow weren't enough to make you enjoy the story, there's still the dragons. By now I've read quite a few interpretations of these creatures, and I still have to say the dragons in this series are some of my favorite. I love how they themselves don't necessarily have an attachment of good or bad, but take on that of their paired rider. I also love how the bond between dragon and rider is shown throughout the series, especially in terms of connected emotions and feelings. The battle scenes are also well-written, and I'm able to picture how they work in my head (which is a feat, considering sometimes normal battle-scenes are difficult to follow).

Overall, I feel this series is criminally underrated, and I can't wait to see where this story keeps going!