Nominated for the Goodreads Librarians' Rising Reader Choice Award 2026 Elemental magic. Dragon riders. Ancient prophecy. Love that could either save the realm or end it. Obsidian Sky delivers an epic tale of elemental magic, ancient prophecies, dragon riders, and a slow burn enemies to lovers romance that burns brighter than destiny itself. Goodreads review "Obsidian Sky is an electrifying fusion of elemental magic, dragon-rider destiny, and slow-burn romance, delivering a richly imagined fantasy world where one fierce girl’s power—and one guarded prince’s heart—might be the key to saving their realm or destroying it entirely."- NewIn Books Thaelyn Marren enters the Asgar Training Academy, an elite elemental magic and dragon rider academy, wanting nothing more than to prove herself amongst the other cadets. There she must endure brutal, life-threatening academy trials in the hope of manifesting elemental magic, air, water, fire, or earth. Only the strongest survive the academy’s deadly training. And if they are lucky, a few will be chosen by dragons who select their riders with ancient instinct, forming a powerful dragon bond with those whose souls burn bright enough to match their own. When Thaelyn’s power stirs in ways no instructor can explain, awakening a dangerous and forbidden magic, she draws the attention of the crown, particularly Prince Thorne Dareth, a renowned warrior and feared dragon ride r . Hardened by discipline and haunted by a kingdom he was born to serve, Thorne sees Thaelyn as a danger to the realm, yet he is ordered to oversee her training. As their paths collide inside the brutal academy trials, rivalry and distrust ignite an undeniable pull between them, setting the stage for a slow-burning, enemies-to-lovers connection neither of them expected, one powerful enough to awaken dark forces that once tore the world apart. Now rift-born creatures thought to exist only in nightmares are slipping through the cracks of their reality, and whispers of ancient dragons and a buried prophecy begin to surface. As the growing threat pushes the realm toward open war, Thaelyn may be the only one able to stop what’s coming. That is, only if Thorne can choose between loyalty to his crown or the girl whose forbidden power could either save their world or bring it to ruin. Obsidian Sky is an epic fantasy romantasy filled with dragon riders, elemental magic, ancient dragons, brutal academy trials, and a slow burn enemies to lovers romance. Perfect for readers who love dragon rider academies, powerful magic, sweeping dark romantasy adventures like Fourth Wing , Powerless , Throne of Glas s, When the Moon Hatched , and HBO’s House of the Dragon. Tropes: Enemies to lovers Slow burn Trainer to Trainee Dragon-rider fantasy Forbidden romance Love and destruction High-stakes political intrigue Destiny/Prophecy Elemental magic system Immersive fantasy world-building POV: Closed third-person limited, dual Obsidian Sky wrecked me in the best way. From the moment Thaelyn stepped into the Training Academy, I was hooked. The world is vivid and dangerous, filled with elemental magic, dragons, and secrets that unfold with perfect tension. Jill Aster’s writing is lush and lyrical, the kind that stops you mid-page. Thaelyn and Thorne’s slow burn is explosive, their banter sharp, their chemistry impossible to look away from. The dragons are unforgettable, ancient and powerful, with personalities that leap off the page. If you loved Fourth Wing (or any other dragon-type books), Powerless, House of the Dragon, or Throne of Glass, this will be your next obsession. The ending left me breathless. 5-star rating! -Goodreads Review