The Loom Saga is one of my favorite books series by Elise Kova.
Ariana is more of an antihero than anything else, which made for a very interesting POV character, though she isn't the only POV character. If I'm remembering correctly, this series was less clean than her Air Awakens series, but more clean than the books marketed more for adults like the Married to Magic series and Arcana Academy.
It's been a while since I read these books, but they've been on my mind, so I'm probably going to be rereading them soon.
Here are the official descriptions by book:
The Dragon King holds Loom in his bloody claws, and one woman has vowed to be his demise.
Arianna lost everything she once loved when the Five Guilds of Loom fell to the Dragon King. Now, as one of the world’s most notorious thieves, she uses her unparalleled gift for merging magic and machine to take on any job that will thwart Loom’s tyrannical oppressors.
Cvareh would do anything to see his sister usurp the Dragon King. His family’s house has endured the shame of being the lowest rung of Dragon society for far too long. The Alchemist Guild on Loom might hold the key to their triumph, if Cvareh can get to them before the Dragon King’s assassins.
When Arianna stumbles upon a wounded Cvareh, she sees an opportunity to slaughter an enemy and make a profit off his corpse.
But Cvareh sees an opportunity to cut a deal with the one person the king’s assassins might fear. He offers her the one thing Arianna can’t refuse: A wish of her greatest desire, if she brings him to the Alchemists of Loom.
Joined by a trigger-happy gun mage, the trio will make their way across the steely, gear-crusted, and deadly landscape of Loom, in a story of a world divided, where magic clashes with machine, and the cost of power is blood.
The Alchemists of Loom is the first book in a complete, dark fantasy trilogy set in a divided world of magic versus machine, gritty adventure, brutal and bloody sorcery, enemies to lovers, and deep friendships. It is perfect for epic fantasy readers looking for a unique and deep world.
The only thing that could compare to the Dragons’ beauty is their brutality.
Cvareh returns home to his sky world of Nova with the genius crafter Arianna as his temperamental guest. The mercurial inventor possesses all the Xin family needs to turn the tides of a centuries-old power struggle, but the secrets she harbors must be earned with trust – hard to come by for Ari, especially when it comes to Dragons.
Up on the sky islands of Nova, Ari finds herself closer to exacting vengeance against the traitor who killed everything and everyone she once loved. But before Ari can complete her campaign of revenge, a secret from her past is exposed. One that will change the world.
While Nova is embroiled in blood sport and political games, the Fenthri on Loom prepare for an all-out assault on their Dragon oppressors.
Florence unexpectedly finds herself at the forefront of the new rebellion, as her unique blend of skills, and quick-shooting accuracy, make her a force to be reckoned with. For the future of her world, she vows vengeance against the Dragons.
But freedom comes with a steep cost. Before the rebellion can rise, the Guilds of Loom must fall.
The second book in the Loom Saga expands on its divided world, exploring the brutal and bloodthirsty sky islands of Nova. The Loom Saga is perfect for readers of gaslamp fantasy looking for deep worldbuilding and something truly unique.
Loom burns. Nova bleeds. The war for the fate of both rages.
A new rebellion has risen from the still-smoldering remnants of the Five Guilds of Loom to stand against Dragon tyranny.
Meanwhile, on Nova, those same Dragons fight amongst themselves, as age-old power struggles shift the political landscape in fateful and unexpected ways.
Unlikely leaders vie for the opportunity to shape a new world order from the creations of one temperamental and lethal engineer.
The fates of the beloved characters of the Loom Saga are revealed in this epic and explosive conclusion to a dark fantasy certain to delight readers looking for sweeping adventure, heart-pounding action, and a world that will live on long after the last page.