Reign of the Dragon Queen

Flat, tell-don't-show writing
The prose states everything plainly, without emotional texture or subtext. Meilene is bored, annoyed, trapped, excited, etc.—but we're told these emotions rather than shown them through meaningful actions or internal conflict. 

Clunky, inconsistent sentence structure
Some sentences are grammatically shaky or awkwardly constructed:
“The new riders she was paired with are older than the last class who were less than ten years, but not by much Meilene couldn't wait...” — this is confusing, as if multiple sentence fragments were mashed together. Tense and pacing also wobble. 

Weak character voice and depth
Meilene doesn't have much personality, even though the story is centered around her. Her reactions are often bland or predictable, and dialogue lacks nuance or emotional tension. 

Unsteady pacing and emotional weight
The transition from scene to scene lacks rhythm, and key plot beats (like preparing for her first flight) are handled with the same emotional weight as a classroom sigh. There's little momentum or rising tension.  

Final thoughts:
Despite the story's potential, the execution feels rushed and underdeveloped. The writing lacks the polish and emotional depth to carry its concept, and the characters rarely rise beyond surface-level reactions. Still, something in the core premise kept me going. There's an addicting simplicity to the drama, even if it's more frustrating than satisfying. I've already started book two, mostly out of curiosity and hope that the world deepens. I wouldn't recommend this to readers looking for rich characters or immersive fantasy.