Synopsis:
DANGER, DESIRE, AND KINGDOMS ON THE BRINK OF WAR.
A woman searching for answers.
Idallia has been serving in the Dragon King’s Elite Wing of dragon shifters for nearly two hundred years. She doesn’t have fire or flight of her own, but she’s a phoenix rider with enough speed and skill to make her enemies think twice about tangling with her or her warbirds.
Centuries of life without knowing who or what you are is complicated enough without harboring a growing secret attraction, but the more time Idallia spends with Bale Cinderheart, the harder it is to stay away from the fiercely protective Dragon King. Dominant, intense…and the one man with the power to ruin everything.
A king safeguarding his treasures.
Bale has centuries of ruling under his scales and more responsibilities than he has fangs. His greatest triumph is his Elite Wing and their warbirds, but his biggest fear is losing them. Especially Idallia. She’s his forbidden desire and the one person he can’t seem to let go of—even for his own good.
While the man in him guards his heart as relentlessly as the dragon in him guards his kingdom, he’s also the keeper of the answers Idallia has been seeking her whole life. Revealing the truth now could cost him everything—his home, his crown, his heart…
The threat of war looms as magic fades from the world of Ellonrift. Will the Dragon King preserve the fragile peace between the kingdoms? Or burn it all down, for her…
The Heirs of the Second Dawn are interconnected standalone fantasy romance novels with no cliffhangers.
Review:
If you’re looking for a romance with a touch of fantasy woven in, this one might be for you. It’s not my first experience with the romantasy genre, but this book leaned heavily toward physical attraction rather than a developed storyline, and listening to all of that honestly grossed me out at times (it just felt wrong).
The amount of time spent (especially by the MMC) thinking about the FMC and imagining what he wanted to do to her was a bit too much for me. There were moments when I genuinely debated whether to continue. The age gap also didn’t sit well with me. I know this isn’t the real world, but nearly 400 years of difference is… a lot.
The actual storyline wasn’t very compelling either. Our FMC wants answers about her origins and goes searching for them. The MMC has all the information but chooses to keep it from her. When she finally learns the truth, the trust between them breaks. With the physical aspect taking up what felt like around 60% of the book, there wasn’t much room for character development or emotional growth. The ending also felt rushed.
Was it a complete failure? No. But I was definitely expecting more from it. If this is the kind of romantasy you typically enjoy, then it might be a better fit for you than it was for me.
🌙 Recension: The Light Under the Shadow Wing by Amanda Bouchet
📚 Genre: Romantasy
📅 Release Date: February 24, 2026
📖 Verlag: RBmedia | Recorded Books
👤 Narrator: Samantha Brentmoor; Ryan West
📗 available in various formats
📱 Read as: Audiobook
💸 I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages / Listening Length: 12h 46min
⭐️ 3/5
Interested in more?
- Review: I Was Never Broken by Hazel Anthony
- Review: Posthumously Yours by Charles D. Braun
- Review: Don’t Answer the Phone by Miranda Rijks
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