Title: The Dragons of Nova
Author: Elise Kova
Type: Fiction
Genre: YA, NA, Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Keymaster Press
Date published: July 11, 2017
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 488
Source: Publisher

A physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, and a digital copy was provided by the blog tour host through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: Cvareh returns home to his sky world of Nova with the genius crafter Arianna as his temperamental guest. The mercurial inventor possesses all the Xin family needs to turn the tides of a centuries-old power struggle, but the secrets she harbors must be earned with trust — hard to come by for Ari, especially when it comes to Dragons. On Nova, Ari finds herself closer to exacting vengeance against the traitor who killed everything — and everyone – she once loved. But before Ari can complete her campaign of revenge, the Crimson Court exposes her shadowed past and reveals something even more dangerous sparking between her and Cvareh.

While Nova is embroiled in blood sport and political games, the rebels on Loom prepare for an all-out assault on their Dragon oppressors. Florence unexpectedly finds herself at the forefront of change, as her unique blend of skills — and quick-shooting accuracy — makes her a force to be reckoned with. For the future of her world, she vows vengeance against the Dragons.

Before the rebellion can rise, though, the Guilds must fall.

A big thank you to Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours for allowing me to participate in this blog tour, and also providing me with a digital copy of this book before my physical copy from the publisher arrived in the mail!

– MY REVIEW –

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2017, and it did not disappoint! I read the first book in this series, The Alchemists of Loom in late December 2016, into January of this year, and posted my review that month. I requested a copy of the sequel right after reading the last page, and despite it having been the first book I finished reading this year, the story and characters remained fresh in my mind until more than halfway through this year.

The Dragons of Nova picks up right where the story left off at the end of the first book, which was great, and Kova lets us dive right back into the action. There was no “1 year later” or anything like that, which I do appreciate in some books, but usually makes me pose a lot of questions, and also makes me sad for missing any part of the characters’ lives (particularly if they’re characters that I really like). It was great to spend more time with some of my favourites from book one, and to watch them develop and change over the course of the plot unfolding in book two. The characters remained unique, complex, and interesting!

This time around, I also had the opportunity to read a finished copy, than an ARC, and Kova’s writing was definitely more polished. I had come across a few awkward phrases in the ARC of the first book, but I now have faith that those were edited into perfection before the finished copy hit the shelves. Kova’s writing was even quite wise and eloquent at times, and made this book quite enjoyable to read. I wish that I had taken the time to sticky note or write down some quotes, because there were some good ones in here.

I found that a portion of the book was a little slower than it could have been, but also understand the importance of this part unfolding the way it did. Therefore, if you find that you’re struggling a little during the first half of this book, just keep at it and push through, because the other half is completely worth it! I really enjoyed learning more about the world above the clouds, Nova, as we follow some of the characters there, while also learning more and more about Loom as well. This book truly painted a clearer picture of the world on the group (Loom), and the world above, and I am still in awe at the extent and colour of Kova’s imagination! I wish that I could dream up world as interesting and complex as this!

We did also have romance in the plot, and I was mostly satisfied with how everything turned out (since something happened that I wanted to happen, but others did not). But I will say no more about this aspect of the story, as to avoid spoilers. I also like that diverse sexualities are mentioned, but found that they could be more at the forefront (maybe in the next books though! We’ll have to see.) The races in this book are not those of our world, as the creatures living on the ground are all varying shades of gray, while the ones above the clouds are varying shades of blue, green, and red. I think this to be quite unique, since I have never read a book or series with such skin tones before, and also find that this series feels more approachable for people of all backgrounds because there is no debate over who is represented more than others.

 The last thing I would like to discuss is the detailed vocabulary created for this world, which makes it feel more like an actual place. Kova has even made up words for measurements on Loom, and I think that to be quite incredible. It makes me think of Tolkien, and how he created vocabulary and even languages to go with his stories. I really enjoyed the information section at the back of this book, and was in awe at the amount of words I had come to already know simply from having read the first book. I was also amused to find that I’d been pronouncing Cvareh’s name wrong in my head for the entirety of the first two books! I’d been reading it as “Kvah-reh”, whereas it’s apparently “Suh-var-ay”! Well, now I know. And so do you!

I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy high fantasy, magic, unique species, steampunk, and a dash of romance! This third book is coming out this December, and you can be sure that I will be requesting a copy and posting a review!

– ABOUT THE AUTHOR –

Elise Kova has always had a profound love of fantastical worlds. Somehow, she managed to focus on the real world long enough to graduate with a Master’s in Business Administration before crawling back under her favorite writing blanket to conceptualize her next magic system. She currently lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and when she is not writing can be found playing video games, watching anime, or talking with readers on social media. (www.elisekova.com)

– PURCHASE LINKS –

THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW! HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, DO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT? HOW COME? LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!