I thought this book was very cute. The main character was lovable and relatable, even when the ridiculous situations he was in were not so relatable. However, the characters overall felt more like charicatures than real life people. And while I like YA, this one was written a little too young for my tastes. I had a fun time reading it, regardless. I would recommend this to younger readers in my life who would benefit from the positive trans representation.

When I picked this up on a whim from a library book sale knowing nothing about it or the author, I was expecting a generic war fantasy with dragons. A fun time, but nothing to write home about. Nothing about the back cover summary would have lead me to expect an exploration of two cultures coming together to find a beautiful common ground, as well as truly unique worldbuilding involving queer identities and non-traditional gender roles. Whoever decided to not include any of that in the advertising did this book a HUGE disservice, because that is what the true heart of this book is. There is war, there are gruesome (and well written) battles, there are dragons (though even they are not what you expect), but those are just the sprinkles on top.

It honestly feels serendipitous that I found this. It feels like Mike Brooks wrote this book for me. I'm glad I also got the sequel at that library sale, because I'm undoubtingly continuing the series. Also gonna pick up everything else Brooks writes, too, brb