Dragons are so hot right now. Pardon the pun, of course, but it seems like every major fantasy these days, from new releases like Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing to Sarah A. Parker’s When the Moon Hatched to ongoing classics like Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle put these magical creatures front and center. And now, it’s Elise Kova’s turn with Dragon Cursed, the first installment in her forthcoming new romantasy series.
A USA Today bestseller whose previous works include the popular Air Awakens series and the swoon-worthy Married to Magic standalones (A Deal with the Elf King, A Dance with the Fae Prince), Kova is a BookTok favorite known for her strong character dynamics and complex female leads. Described as an action-packed fantasy with a healthy dose of mystery and romance, Dragon Cursed promises to be one of the buzziest titles of early 2025.
Here’s how the publisher describes the story.
Every teen, in the final human stronghold of a blighted land, is subject to brutal tests designed to separate the dragon hunters from the dragon cursed, and one young woman, declared a hero reborn, must fight for her life amidst growing suspicions that there is more to this curse than meets the eye…
Dragon Cursed won’t hit shelves until March 4, 2025, but we’re thrilled to have the first look at its (absolutely gorgeous!) cover right now. (As well a sneak peek of the sprayed edges that will come along with it.)
We also had the chance to sit down with Kova herself for a quick chat about what to expect from this story, the romance at its center, and why dragon fantasy is so hot right now.
Paste Magazine: Tell us about Dragon Cursed! What can readers expect from this story?
Elise Kova: Dragon Cursed is brutal fun. In many ways, the concept began as a love letter to elements of different fandoms that inspired me growing up—from anime to video games to novels. I wanted to capture that full-body rush you get when you watch the first episode of a new show, see the opening cinematic of a game, or read the first chapter of a book and immediately think, “Oh, I’m about to be obsessed with this.”
To try to achieve that, I packed the story with twists and turns that will (hopefully) keep readers guessing until the very end. At its core, it’s a story about coming of age, finding your place in the world, the hubris of humanity, the dangers of blind faith, and (of course) falling in love.
Paste: Dragon Cursed feels like a little bit of a swerve from some of your previous works like the Air Awakens series or the Married to Magic books. What made you want to tackle this kind of fantasy story?
Kova: That’s such an interesting question—it really makes me think. In many ways, Dragon Cursed feels like a natural evolution for me. In the Air Awakens series, I’ve explored sweeping, world-altering narratives, which are always so much fun to dive into. And the Married to Magic standalones bring a balance of magic and romance to the forefront. Both of these elements are present in Dragon Cursed.
That said, this story does bring some fresh elements to the table that I hope delight existing readers and new readers alike. Often, my stories span multiple cities or even countries, but Dragon Cursed is largely set in one city, focusing on just a few key areas. It’s been refreshing to really drill down into a single setting. Also, I’ve been hearing the call of dragons from my muse for a while now—careful readers might notice hints of them in A Dawn with the Wolf Knight or my A Trial of Sorcerers series. Although I’ve written about “dragons” before in my Loom Saga, they were reimagined in a different way. This time, I’m excited to finally write the real deal. This story has been a long time coming.
I’d like to think that if you enjoy epic fantasy with action, high stakes, world-saving energy, and a healthy dose of romance, then you’ll likely love Dragon Cursed.
Paste: What can you tell us about its main characters (and the central romance, because let’s face it we know what the people—i.e. me–want)?
Kova: Isola, our heroine, just turned eighteen, and in the city of Vinguard, that means she’s heading to the Testing Grounds. There, she’ll learn if her destiny lies with the dragon hunters on the wall, or if she’s fated to die as one of the “Dragon Cursed.”
But Isola isn’t just anyone. After surviving a dragon attack as a girl by using magic thought to be long lost, she’s hailed as the great hero of Vinguard, their savior returned—Valor Reborn. Needless to say, there’s a lot riding on her success.
As for the romance, our love interest is the last person Isola ever thought she’d fall for. She sees him as one of the Creed’s sycophants, sent by the creepy vicar to spy on her. But, of course, our hero has other plans.
What I love about their romance is that it’s a mix of the enemies-to-lovers trope, with a touch of “he falls first,” and the hero being the strong, silent type. There’s a tenderness to him that I think is really swoon-worthy. He’s someone who would risk everything for her, and never even let her know.
Paste: What excited you most about this book and its story when you were writing it?
Kova: Obviously, the characters and the romance were a big draw for me. But since I already talked about them, I’d love to highlight my other love of fantasy: World Building. Creating the world and all its lore is one of my absolute favorite parts of writing fantasy, and creating this world was so much fun.
First and foremost, the dragons—of course! There are several different types of dragons, each with its own unique form of magic. Humans can call upon these powers through dragon talismans, like scales or claws, which helps to level the playing field a bit when the dragons attack. But the dragons still put up one hell of a fight.
Then there’s the setting. The story takes place in the city of Vinguard, a cloistered and desperate place. On one side, the city is besieged by dragons, while on the other, a decay is consuming the world from the inside out, making it uninhabitable. As the city has retreated inward, it has developed unique customs and beliefs, which made it fresh and exciting for me to write.
Paste: I feel like dragon fantasy (is that a thing? fantasy about dragons?) is so popular right now — and we know we all read Fourth Wing! What is it about these creatures and the worlds they inhabit that is so appealing to readers do you think?
Kova: For me, the appeal of dragons lies in what they represent: power.
I think of the scene in Game of Thrones (Season 7, Episode 4), where Daenerys flies Drogon into battle and decimates the Lannister army. Or the dragons in The Lord of the Rings, bred by Morgoth as terrifying war beasts. Even friendly dragons, like Falkor from The Neverending Story, radiate a legendary aura and possess equally legendary powers.
Dragons are these world-changing entities, and their mere presence in a story guarantees that the world will be altered. How could it not be? They are forces of nature, and that level of power—capable of reshaping entire worlds—is as thrilling to read as it is to write.
In Dragon Cursed, I leaned into the idea of dragons as feared and monstrous creatures. The remnants of humanity believe these beasts are tied to the world’s ultimate destruction, and their power is so immense that they not only dominate nature, but also warp it by their very existence.
Paste: I’m obsessed with the cover of this book! How do you feel like it aligns with or reflects the story in its pages?
Kova: Oh gosh, it’s so hard not to give away spoilers! I love when covers hide little clues and insights into the story, and Dragon Cursed is no exception. Without giving too much away, I think the cover perfectly captures the raw essence of the story. Dragon Cursed takes place in a brutal, desperate world on the brink, where “Mercy” is synonymous with death. And, of course, at the heart of it all are dragons.
The cover conveys a beautiful yet deadly edge and all the trappings of a modern fantasy, which I hope is reflected throughout the book’s pages. But, ultimately, my readers get to be the final judges!
Dragon Cursed will be released on March 4, 2025.
Lacy Baugher Milas is the Books Editor at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter @LacyMB