Plot: 5/5
The Citrine Key is a straightforward story following three people pressured into a dangerous mission for the queen. But throughout, L.L. MacRae expertly weaves in intrigue and mystery into the story while keeping it concise, and it kept my attention throughout. For being so short, the plot feels complete for this story and it doesn’t feel like any part of it was lacking in an attempt to shorten it. The space was used perfectly for the story that was told.

Characters: 5/5
The story is told from the point of view of Apollo, and we learn plenty about him, but what is also impressive is how well the story tells you about the other two. There is not much info dumping to explain the others, but instead it is woven into the tale well enough to feel completely natural. Each character felt completely fleshed out and well written.

Worldbuilding: 5/5
The most impressive thing about this story is how well the worldbuilding is handled with so little space to do it in. The world feels massive, and though there seemed to be a lot left to learn, I was never left confused about what was going on. You can see the big picture without knowing the details, and having handled this in addition to the plot and the characters, is an impressive utilization of concise writing without being confusing.

Writing: 4/5
As discussed above, the writing is impressive in how well it flows and fits in all that L.L. MacRae wanted. The pacing was consistent and the prose was well written, though there were a few moments where a line was confusing to me, but far more often than not it was well written and clear.

Enjoyability: 5/5
I found this snapshot into the Dragon Spirits series and excellent entry point to give you a little taste of MacRae’s abilities and what you’ll find in the next book. I enjoyed the tale quite a bit, and has only increased my excitement for The Iron Crown, which I plan to read in the near future!
This novella is free by joining L.L. MacRae’s newsletter, and I highly recommend it for anyone who is thinking of trying out the SPFBO 7 Finalist novel.

OVERALL: 5/5 Unending Blizzards