Rachel Hartman's Seraphina meets The Priory of the Orange Tree in Lady Dragon, a sapphic YA romantasy from A.M. Strickland. The age of queens is over...unless they can save it. Since the last war between humans and dragons left the leaders of both species slain - the last human king of Andrath and the legendary dragon queen - both queendoms have been living under a tentative truce: only women will sit on the throne of Andrath, the dragons will have free passage through the human lands...and if men ever try to retake the throne, the draconic realm will retaliate. Samansa and Kirek are two new leaders coming of age in war-scarred lands - Samansa a reluctant human princess and Kirek the favored contender for the draconic queenship. Per tradition, Kirek must undergo the distasteful task of using a mysterious gem called the Heartstone to shift into human form and maintain the strained ties between the species . . . and study human weaknesses, a new and secret task she's been given by her queen. As the princess and the dragon girl grow closer, they are sent to investigate a potential breach of the treaty and encounter a plot that could reignite an even bloodier war. While fighting to maintain the peace their ancestors fought for and uncovering centuries-old secrets, Samansa and Kirek must grapple with betraying their clashing nations . . . or their unexpected feelings for each other. "A master of twisty, imaginative YA fantasy, Strickland delivers everything you could want and more: succession drama; awesome dragon battles; and a romance with the slow, intense burn of dragon fire and the sweetness of first love. By turns full of rage and tenderness, Lady Dragon is sweeping, affirming, and completely unputdownable." --Allison Saft, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of A Fragile Enchantment
