Book Review: The Ellyrian Code by B.F. Peterson

Before I begin, I need to give a few disclaimers. I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for honest feedback, and I went into the book with a negative perception because the book was labelled as being perfect for readers who loved Fourth Wing.

I did not like Fourth Wing, to the extent that I couldn’t finish the Amazon ebook sample. Meaning, I literally could not get through the first chapter.

So, you can see why that comparison would not make a good first impression. Probably a good reason to ask why I would have read it and agreed to give feedback. I’ve been toying with the idea of a fantasy/magic university setting, based on actual medieval universities and scholastic guilds, so I always try to keep tabs on what other fantasy writers are doing with the idea.

And, in the interest of transparency, I struggled with the beginning of The Ellyrian Code. There was too much jumping between point-of-view characters (and too many of them to jump between) without spending enough time establishing their identity. It took me until close to halfway through the book to realize who was who. Now, apparently this books is either a sequel or companion to B.F. Peterson’s earlier book, The Land Beyond the Waste, and I hadn’t realized there were connected books. I found an interview where she mentions that The Land Beyond the Waste developed from a book she wrote earlier (which seems to be The Ellyrian Code) regarding the founding of an order of dragon riders. So I guess the other book is sort of a prequel that got published first?

So, probably up to you to decide which one you want to read first.

Anyway, I did end up really liking the plot of this book, once the novel began to focus in on it. There are tropes that are pretty standard in magic academy books— different houses that are highly competitive rivals, an end of the year competitive tournament, and a secret group of rule breakers responding to incredibly rigid rules. Despite all of that, I felt like they were included because people expected them to be there, rather than because the story necessarily needed them?

The description doesn’t really capture what I felt was the main story— Christina (mentioned in the summary) is alternately attacked and then protected by a former member of the Eshtem (the order that the university trains potential prospects for), who was expelled and declared an outlaw, only for him to face a summary execution by the order’s military general, despite his claims of innocence and shock that he had been tried in absentia. Christina feels guilty and uncomfortable about this, so she begins a clandestine quest to find out the truth. Who really was he? What was his crime? Could he have actually been innocent? Was this part of a cover-up by the Eshtem to hide something they had done wrong?

That was what felt like the main story line to me. And I really enjoyed it! It was fascinating and I loved trying to piece the evidence together to unravel it along with her. Unfortunately, only two of the point of view characters were even aware of this story line, and one only partially, so their respective chapters felt a little extraneous. The same with the other elements- like the tournament, secret society, and conflict between social classes felt a little unnecessary, especially since this university is essentially a paramilitary peacekeeping organization. Sort of like the Jedi, if they rode dragons, or a fantasy version of Starfleet.

Unfortunately, this primary story line only began to pick up about halfway through the book, hence my struggles at the beginning, since there wasn’t really a lot of momentum in the beginning. Stick with it though! I did and really enjoyed the second half of the book.

There was just enough intrigue and subterfuge to keep the tension ratcheting up, along with the mysterious events going on behind the scenes at the university, especially seeing the professors and faculty’s machinations to protect their secrets. Growing up, I heard lots of people criticize Harry Potter for being a bad role model, because he constantly breaks the rules and defies authority, even though there wasn’t really a reason for him to do that? In this one, it makes much sense, as the protagonists don’t know which professors can be trusted or not. I really appreciated that addition to the dynamic between student and staff.

Granted, some of the rules didn’t make a lot of sense, like curfew and uniforms. Granted, this is a pseudo military organization, which might account for it? And I think that was part of my confusion. Sometimes it felt like the students were adults in university, but other times, it felt like they were viewed as teenagers in high school. I don’t remember if any of their ages were explicitly listed, but I’m thinking probably around 20ish? The pettiness and cliques felt younger than that on occasion and a lot of the rivalries felt more like they belonged in high school.

I suspect that’s part of my problem with the worldbuilding and characterization— a lot of it ended up feeling like it doesn’t quite fit together all the way. Now, based on the interview that I found, this was probably the author’s first book. For a first book, I expect things to be a little rougher, so I won’t deduct anything for that. Despite all this, it’s a very strong first-written book. I especially appreciated how the dragons are thought out and appear into the story. I won’t give away too much, but this one really leans into the idea of dragons as being majestic and terrible.

Overall, I would recommend it for fantasy fans. It’s definitely not a fantasy/romance like Fourth Wing, if that’s what you’re looking for. The romance is a subplot at most, and nothing really happens there.

4/5 stars.

The Ellyrian Code releases June 24, 2025 and can be purchased here. (Bookshop.org affiliate link)