Book: Leather Bound by Ryn Stryker
Reviewed by Sheila Lopez
Rating: 5/5
Leather Bound follows a group of young people leaving their villages behind for the chance to become Dragon Riders. What begins as a dream of flying turns into a dangerous path filled with magic, demons, rivalries, secrets, brutal training, and yes, dragons. I loved that the story could have so much magic and danger happening while still making me care about the people at the center of it.
I loved Emelia. She is bold, stubborn, reckless, loyal, and deeply driven by the need to find her purpose. She keeps fighting for the life she wants rather than accepting the one already planned for her, and I loved that about her. “To fly was to live” was one of my favorite lines because it fit Emelia and the path she chose.
I also liked Scar. Something was clearly wrong with him, and his secrets and all the anger he carried made me want to understand what was really going on with him. I kept wondering what he was hiding and what was behind all that anger.
The Frozen Squadron was another part I really loved, especially the way they came together and tried to protect one another. They felt like a real found family, and I finished with questions about whether their paths would keep them together. If you enjoy fantasy with dragons, magic, demons, dangerous training, and found family, I think you should give this one a try.