Review of Emberclaw by L.R. Lam

A couple years ago, I read Dragonfall, and I was lukewarm on picking up the sequel. When I had the opportunity for an eARC via NetGalley, however, I decided to give it a shot. I’m pleased to report Emberclaw is a strong conclusion to this duology (more of these, by the way). L.R. Lam improves on the first entry, and while I still don’t think I am quite their ideal reader, I definitely enjoyed this dragon tale.

Spoilers for the first book but not this one.

Arcady and Everen are (were?) joined by magic. One human, one dragon. With Everen exiled back to Vere Celene, Arcady is left to pick up the pieces of their con game: they want to infiltrate magic school and figure out who framed their ancestor. But there’s another dragon in Loc, and he’s hellbent on manipulating events to get Everen back here. So while Arcady tries to conceal their identity and lie low, this dragon’s handpicked assassin, Soren, cozies up to them and is ready to strike.

Basically, what makes this book so delicious is the way Lam has given everyone overlapping yet oft-conflicting motivations and desires. Arcady and Everen have a natural spark of attraction, yet they are different species and have different loyalties. Magnus similarly has his own motives—which initially don’t seem all that bad, and it’s just his methods that are objectionable, though this changes as the book goes on and his true depravity becomes clear. Soren really just wants to be loved. Sorry, girl.

This book feels like it’s more Arcady and Soren’s than Everen’s, which I am not sorry about. He’s kind of boring. I don’t think that is Lam’s fault—I’m just not a fan of his personality. In contrast, Arcady feels a lot more dynamic, and Soren’s tragic face turn story arc is beautiful.

Whereas the first book was a heist plot, this one is your typical quest trope: Arcady and Soren are competing in a wizards cup kind of competition to get tuition and prove they are magical badasses. It’s not nearly that straightforward, of course, but it is a good enough framework for Lam to use to build the overall story.

In the end, like the first book, Emberclaw didn’t wow me. I think Lam is one of those fantasy authors whose stories or writing style just aren’t for me—no shade on their ability as a writer, just not my cup of tea. If you love dragons or just want a complex fantasy story with a tiny bit of spice/romance and a lot of betrayal, then you should check out this duology.