Dragons of Tirene IV: Queen of Legends and Lies
We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Queen of Legends and Lies is the fourth book in Nina Frost’s epic dragon fantasy series (make sure to check out my review of book one, Kingdom of Shadows and Wings). In this installment, the story plunges deeper into betrayal, power, and impossible choices. This is not just another dragon fantasy. It’s a sweeping, romantic fantasy series with dragons that rivals the intensity of books like Throne of Glass and From Blood and Ash. At its center is Lark Axton, a reluctant heir bound by fate, magic, and heartbreak.
Book four cements Dragons of Tirene as one of the best fantasy books with queens and high fantasy romance books on the shelves today. Within its pages, you’ll find epic fantasy betrayals, a kingdom haunted by secrets and lies, and a heroine who must carry the weight of the world as love and loyalty clash. If you’ve been searching for fantasy romance books brimming with fire, flight, and fate, this epic dragon fantasy promises to soar.
Title: Queen of Legends and Lies (Dragons of Tirene, 4)
Author: Nina Frost
Publisher: Independently Published
Format: eARC
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Dragons
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Pages: 426
Star Rating: 4 stars (rounded up)
Spice Rating: 3 chili peppers
The gears of destiny have been set in motion.
I won’t say too much here since Queen of Legends and Lies is the fourth book in the Dragons of Tirene series. But I do want to share a few thoughts. Going into the story, we are hit with a recap of sorts. And, while I appreciate a recap, the way it’s told feels almost too heavy-handed. Like the author doesn’t trust the reader to remember or understand what’s come before. Instead of Lark’s voice giving us a fresh lens on the past, it reads more like a summary dropped into an epic fantasy novel. If the story needed a reminder, I would have preferred it as a subtle note at the start. Not woven in a way that feels unnecessary.
And while yes, the recap is woven into the first chapter or so, as it stood, it had a way of pulling me out. Instead of being the launching pad for the story. For comparison, (not that we’re playing that game) John Gwynne handles this masterfully in the Bloodsworn Trilogy, where each recap feels both seamless and purposeful. He hits you at the beginning of the story and then immediately dives in.
Lark Axton has failed.
One element that did surprise me, though, was the use of dreams. They carry a magical, immersive weight. It was unexpected, unique, and deeply atmospheric. Each dream blurs the edges of the story’s world, as if waking and memory, truth and illusion, are folding in on each other. That quiet layering creates an almost haunting effect, deepening the sense of fate pressing down on Lark. And it’s in those moments that the book begins to claw at you. An emotional fantasy read that doesn’t just entertain but lingers. Leaving scars you can’t see, making you question what you thought you knew about the world and the story itself. It’s the mark of the kind of epic fantasy stories that linger and break your heart long after you close the book.
Politics dominates much of this installment, and the court is relentless. At every turn, the council undermines Lark. Dismissing her decisions, keeping her tied up in matters that feel trivial while the world threatens to burn. They are supposed to advise her, yet instead, they seem intent on breaking her spirit. Their motives are suspect, their interference exhausting, and their presence creates a constant tension for both Lark and the reader. It’s the sharpest reminder yet of the theme of betrayal and power in fantasy books, and it left me grinding my teeth in frustration right alongside her. Lark needs new advisors (badly!!!), people who see her as the queen she is becoming, not a child to be managed.
And now, the enemy who wants to kill her.
What tested my patience most, though, was Lark herself. After everything she has endured, after three previous books of growth, pain, and survival, she still hesitates to trust her instincts. I understand the fear—what ifs often can drown out what is—but with the fate of kingdoms hanging on her shoulders, I wanted her to step forward with more certainty. Watching her falter in moments where I desperately needed her to rise was maddening, even as it made her painfully human. And maybe that’s why the tension bit so deeply. I felt it in my body: shoulders tight, breath uneven, heart pounding as scenes unfolded. Loosening only when I finally turned the last page.
Make no mistake, this is still an addictive fantasy series. Queen of Legends and Lies is action-packed, bloody, and battle-worn, with moments of breathtaking intimacy woven into the chaos. This is a dragon fantasy romance that continues to burn hot. And though there were times when the spice felt misplaced—interrupting instead of heightening the tension. Some encounters made sense, but others left me muttering, This feels unnecessary. Still, when those scenes landed, they carried the fire and pull we love in an epic fantasy series.
And then there’s the ending. The second-to-last chapter felt like the true close—satisfying, complete, tied off with a perfect bow. But the final chapter? It shifts the tone entirely, setting up the next installment in a way that almost feels like the beginning of a new story rather than the continuation of Lark’s. On one hand, it builds curiosity for what’s to come. On the other hand, it felt like an afterthought. A thread that could have been more seamlessly woven into the main body of the novel. Part of me believes the story could have ended here, strong and sure. Another part wonders if the next book will prove this final shift necessary.
The only dragoncaller in the world will become queen.
So, should you read the Dragons of Tirene series? I think yes. The first book may take some time to settle into, but once the pieces fall into place, the series only grows stronger. The Dragons of Tirene series is for readers who crave fantasy romance books, stories featuring queens who fight for survival, or romantasy filled with secrets and betrayals. This series is worth the journey. It’s not just another fantasy book series with dragons and romance—it’s the kind of story that claws at your soul, demands you feel every wound, and leaves you marked long after you’ve finished.
And if you’re searching for what to read after Throne of Glass or From Blood and Ash, this belongs on your list. While the tone and style are different, they share the same building blocks. Betrayal, loyalty, romance, and the rise of a queen against impossible odds. Queen of Legends and Lies proves once again that Nina Frost knows how to deliver epic fantasy about power, sacrifice, and love. Making it a must-read fantasy series that is as immersive as it is unforgettable. While not flawless, it’s an immersive fantasy novel that grips you with its tension and heart. Cementing the Dragons of Tirene as a series worth finishing.
Thank you to the author Nina Frost for providing me with an eARC in order to review. Don’t forget to shop your local indie bookstore (or if you prefer, Amazon!) Now is the perfect time to start the series because book five, Empire of Reckoning and Ruin, releases December 4, 2025
Read This Next:
Book Review: A Dragon in the Rough
