Nominated for the Goodreads Librarians' Rising Reader Choice Award 2026 A deadly dragon rider magical academy. A forbidden power that could burn the realm to ash. And the one prince ordered to destroy her before she destroys everything he was trained to protect. At the Asgar Training Academy, cadets manifest elemental magic or die trying. Thaelyn Marren expects rejection. But when her magic awakens, it isn’t air, water, fire, or earth.—an ancient, forbidden force that no one has wielded in centuries. The moment it erupts from her hands, she becomes the most dangerous cadet in the academy and the most hunted woman in the realm. Prince Thorne Dareth is bonded to the King of Dragons, hardened by war, and haunted by a prophecy he refuses to believe. He is ordered to train her. Contain her. Break her, if necessary. But when a telepathic dragon bond ignites between their mounts, tethering his pulse to hers, distrust gives way to a slow, furious, impossible pull—the kind that rewrites loyalties, shatters oaths, and wakes things in the dark that should have stayed buried. Because the Rift is opening. Creatures from the void are clawing through the cracks of reality. An ancient prophecy is surfacing, and it names them both. Before the war is over, one of them will sacrifice everything. And the cost will be written in blood, in fire, and in eyes that no longer remember what it means to be human. And if they bond in soul and skin, the world may end, or else begin. Obsidian Sky is an epic adult fantasy romance—a dark, sweeping romantasy with dragon riders, brutal academy trials, and a slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance that blazes hotter than dragonfire. Perfect for readers who crave angsty, high-stakes romantasy with powerful heroines, morally gray princes, and fated dragon bonds. The Riftborn Series, Book 1 Complete romance arc with a series-altering cliffhanger, Dual POV, Open door spice level Content warnings available at www.jillaster.com Tropes: Enemies to lovers, Slow burn, Forbidden romance, Dragon rider academy, Mentor/trainee, Royal prince hero, Fated bond, Chosen one, Deadly trials, Touch her and die, Prophecy/destiny For readers who devoured Fourth Wing, Powerless, Throne of Glass, and need their next obsession. 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 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. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Goodreads reviewer 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 Throne of Glass, this will be your next obsession. The ending left me breathless. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Goodreads reviewer