Ash Bound (Skylance War College, Book One): A Rivals to Lovers Dragon Rider Romantasy: 1

A forbidden dragon. A bond that burns on every lie. A rival she can't survive without.When junior scribe Cassia Vale sneaks into the brutal entrance trials at Skylance War College to expose a cheating ring, an obsidian dragon chooses her in front of the entire yard. The bond brands her with an oathmark that sears whenever she lies-and conscripts her as a rider under Captain Riven Hale, the flint-eyed rival she came to investigate.As lethal trials-Grapnel, Thermals, Shear, and Nightfall-cull the weak, whispers point Cassia toward a hidden program that harvests dragon memory through the sacred Oathfire. Forced into tandem flights and only-one-bunk proximity with Riven, enemies turn into something far more dangerous. To save her dragon and her wing, Cassia must choose a truth that could ruin the man she's learning to trust-or set the skies on fire.Perfect for readers who love: - Rivals-to-lovers, slow burn (open door)- Dragon riders with real stakes and agency- Deadly academy/war-college trials- Forced proximity & "only one bunk"- Found family wing dynamics- A hopeful HFN with a larger war arcAsh-Bound is Book One of the Skylance War College series-romantasy with sharp banter, cinematic action, and a truth-burn bond you won't forget.