Cheers: We've got our own Rabecca Yarros in lesfic — Sarah Sanders (writing under the pen name Kara Knightlee) makes a confident and polished debut into the Epic Fantasy / Romantasy genre with this exceptional, superlative book.
From the ashes of a dying world rises a legend — and Dragon Marked is nothing short of breathtaking. This is fantasy at its most alive: a symphony of molten prose, heart-wrenching romance, and dragons that don’t just soar off the page — they sear your soul.
From the very first page, Dragon Marked: The Legend of the Flame ensnares you in its world of smoldering magic and unforgettable characters. This is the kind of book that doesn't just tell a story—it brands itself upon your soul with prose as sharp as dragon talons and as luminous as Heartfire.
It’s Unputdownable:
🔥 A HEROINE WHO BURNS BRIGHT
Aura Caelanth isn’t just a warrior—she’s a conflagration. Her journey from survivor to living myth is raw, real, and radiant. When she touches the Flameroot Tree and whispers "I come for remembrance," you’ll feel it in your bones.
🐉 DRAGONS LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN THEM
Ashari’s return is the most transcendent dragon resurrection in modern
fantasy. Her bond with Aura isn’t magic—it’s memory made flesh.
Scales like starlight, wings that rewrite the sky—this is how dragons
were meant to be written.
Ashari's return is a revelation – a moment of such mythic grandeur that it lifts the entire story into the realm of timeless legend. The bond between dragon and marked one has never felt more sacred or more devastatingly beautiful.
Ashari didn’t just return to Emberfall—she crashed into my soul and built a nest.
💔 A LOVE THAT CUTS DEEPER THAN BLADES
Kaelen Ravaryn is a triumph of tragic allure. Their romance is a
blade balanced on the edge of betrayal— it's a riptide of longing and
secrets that will leave you gasping. Every glance, every scar,
every unspoken truth hurts so good.
Kaelen and Aura's love story is a masterpiece of tension and tenderness. Their connection burns with the heat of a forge and cuts with the precision of a blade. Every stolen glance, every aching separation, every moment of vulnerability is pure narrative alchemy.
Every intimate scene between Kaelen and Aura is visceral passion and totally swoon-worthy.
⚔️ 🎭⚫ MYSTERIOUS VILLAINS THAT CREATE DREAD
The mysterious but dreadful Void (the physics of unmaking), the
Shadebound (the turned Flametouched) and the Shadow Soldiers. Chilling perfection.
✨🗡️🔥🐎🤣⚔️🕶️AWESOME CAST OF SECONDARY CHARACTERS including
- Magnetic Rewa: A mentor with hidden storms beneath her calm. Her whispered "Ealá, Aura" carries the weight of centuries—and that final dagger scene? Iconic
Skyburst: The MVP (Most Valuable Pegasus-Dragon?). Her sassy huffs and soul-deep bond with Aura prove love needs no words—just side-eye and shared courage.
- Irrepressible Elin with her sassy comments—pure gold.
- Enigmatic Selyra and her eerie ways—chilling.
- Sharp-tongued Teyne—and her casual insults hiding a devastating truth—shock reveal
- the whole friends' group (Bran, Derran, Saela, Mira, Vess, Corren and Kye) are beautifully defined. Each one shines and is crafted with care. Their toast to Aura’s Dragon Mark ("Looks like we’ve got ourselves a dragon-caller!") is pure found-family gold—equal parts humor and fierce loyalty.
Also, a quick nod to:
- 🕶️ Commander Vael ⚔️🌑 (A man or a ghost? — "I’ve seen centuries. You’re special. Don’t make me say it.")
- The Akmuo stone 🪨💬 ("I witnessed the first flame. Your angst is cute.")
🌀✨👤Plots twists and unexpected, breathtaking character arcs.
⚔️💥🎬👀Stunningly written fight sequences that you can actually see.
Dragon Marked has an engrossing story, an immersive world, careful world-building, unforgettable characters, dramatic plot twists, cinematic fights, lush writing and a beautiful (but ultimately devastating + cliffhanging) romance.
Dragon Marked: The Legend of the Flame isn’t just a book—it’s a living flame. It grips you with the fury of a dragon’s roar and the tenderness of a whispered vow.
This one has everything I ever wanted in a lesbian fantasy book
- The emotional depth of The Priory
of the Orange Tree
- The fiery romance of Fourth Wing
- The mythic grandeur of The Jasmine
Throne
I 💓 this book so hard.
Also, it has one of the most stunning covers I've seen.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
