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booksinwildplaces 's review for:
Heart of Chaos
by Madeleine Eliot
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rating: 5 stars.
Genre(s): adult fantasy romance.
Overall impression: I've been looking for a dragon shifter romance novel for a while now and this one was everything I was searching for and more. It was slow-burn, plot-driven and had the most precious dynamic between the main characters. I'm so desperate for book 2 and to find out what happens next.
Tropes:
➵ Dragon shifters
➵ Strangers-to-lovers
➵ Grovelling
➵ Fated mates
➵ Telepathic communication
➵ Forced proximity
➵ One bed
➵ Slow-burn romance
➵ Protective MMC
➵ Touch her and 💀
➵ "Good girl"
➵ Found family
➵ Unique powers
➵ Chronic illness rep
➵ Healing magic
⤷ Plot:
It was equally character- and plot-driven. Eisa had to overcome her past trauma and learn to trust and love again in order to bond a dragon and help protect the world from the monsters threatening it. There were other hurdles and enemies along the way that were obvious from the start and I liked that the characters all worked together to overcome them. The romance was sweet and progressed a lot in book 1 but there's definitely room for it to grow as the series continues.
⤷ Characters:
Eisa was a very sweet and self-sacrificing character that went through massive character development in the first book. Having been abused since childhood by her employer, she had to overcome her submissive nature and learn to stand up for herself to survive in her new home. Arik really helped with this transformation, pushing her until she pushed back. Although their initial dynamic was a bit cold and borderline standoffish, they became so supportive and caring towards each other I really loved their relationship.
The dragons had their own distinct personalities, despite sharing a body with their bonded Drage. This added a really interesting element to the story as they fought for control in certain situations and had different natural instincts.
⤷ World-building:
Although there are a lot of dragon shifter romance novels on the market, this one really stood out to me because of the exceptional world-building. I found the whole dragon-bonding process to be really interesting and enjoyed how the dragons already had mates on the other side of the veil that needed to be reunited through their Drage counterparts once they crossed over. The setting was also described in a lot of detail and I could easily visualise the world that the characters were transversing through.
⤷ Writing:
The pacing was absolutely spot on. It didn't feel like it was too rushed and there were no parts that felt like an information-dump which can occasionally happen in fantasy novels. I found the writing to be very beautiful and easy to read, making it easy to binge in one sitting.
⤷ Everything else:
Madeleine Eliot's books have the prettiest covers. I bought this book based on the cover and tropes alone, and ended up absolutely loving it.
Statistics:
➵ Date read: 22/05/2025-22/05/2025 (1 day).
➵ Page count: 384.
➵ Type: e-book.
➵ Volume: series.
Social Media Links:
Instagram | TikTok | Threads
Follow for reviews, unboxings and book aesthetic videos.
Genre(s): adult fantasy romance.
Overall impression: I've been looking for a dragon shifter romance novel for a while now and this one was everything I was searching for and more. It was slow-burn, plot-driven and had the most precious dynamic between the main characters. I'm so desperate for book 2 and to find out what happens next.
Tropes:
➵ Dragon shifters
➵ Strangers-to-lovers
➵ Grovelling
➵ Fated mates
➵ Telepathic communication
➵ Forced proximity
➵ One bed
➵ Slow-burn romance
➵ Protective MMC
➵ Touch her and 💀
➵ "Good girl"
➵ Found family
➵ Unique powers
➵ Chronic illness rep
➵ Healing magic
⤷ Plot:
It was equally character- and plot-driven. Eisa had to overcome her past trauma and learn to trust and love again in order to bond a dragon and help protect the world from the monsters threatening it. There were other hurdles and enemies along the way that were obvious from the start and I liked that the characters all worked together to overcome them. The romance was sweet and progressed a lot in book 1 but there's definitely room for it to grow as the series continues.
⤷ Characters:
Eisa was a very sweet and self-sacrificing character that went through massive character development in the first book. Having been abused since childhood by her employer, she had to overcome her submissive nature and learn to stand up for herself to survive in her new home. Arik really helped with this transformation, pushing her until she pushed back. Although their initial dynamic was a bit cold and borderline standoffish, they became so supportive and caring towards each other I really loved their relationship.
The dragons had their own distinct personalities, despite sharing a body with their bonded Drage. This added a really interesting element to the story as they fought for control in certain situations and had different natural instincts.
⤷ World-building:
Although there are a lot of dragon shifter romance novels on the market, this one really stood out to me because of the exceptional world-building. I found the whole dragon-bonding process to be really interesting and enjoyed how the dragons already had mates on the other side of the veil that needed to be reunited through their Drage counterparts once they crossed over. The setting was also described in a lot of detail and I could easily visualise the world that the characters were transversing through.
⤷ Writing:
The pacing was absolutely spot on. It didn't feel like it was too rushed and there were no parts that felt like an information-dump which can occasionally happen in fantasy novels. I found the writing to be very beautiful and easy to read, making it easy to binge in one sitting.
⤷ Everything else:
Madeleine Eliot's books have the prettiest covers. I bought this book based on the cover and tropes alone, and ended up absolutely loving it.
Statistics:
➵ Date read: 22/05/2025-22/05/2025 (1 day).
➵ Page count: 384.
➵ Type: e-book.
➵ Volume: series.
Social Media Links:
Instagram | TikTok | Threads
Follow for reviews, unboxings and book aesthetic videos.