Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Sacrifice

Rate this book
I should be worried about the dragon.


Dragons are known for cruelty. For fire and carnage.
And here I am, chained up outside this one’s lair, wearing flimsy finery, waiting for a monster.


Did I agree to this?
Why can’t I remember?
Or seem to care?

Something here is not at all as it should be. I wish I could figure out what. Preferably before a terrifying beast has me for lunch.


Dragonpets: The Sacrifice is the first book in R. L. S. Hoff’s new YA fantasy series, which features strong young women in a society not ready for them.

216 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2022

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

R.L.S. Hoff

5 books42 followers
R. L. S. Hoff is a writer of mostly young adult sci-fi and fantasy. She lives in a multi-cultural household where she often has to remind one child that he must learn English because it's important for life in the US and the other two children that they must learn Mandarin because it is and always will be their brother's native language. When she's not writing or working at (so far) more profitable gigs, she enjoys reading, gardening, and baking bread.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
15 (38%)
4 stars
9 (23%)
3 stars
14 (35%)
2 stars
1 (2%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
1,063 reviews15 followers
November 26, 2022
When you wake up to find yourself dressed in some flimsy fine dress, which is definitely not your usual clothing choice, soaked through by freezing rain and chained to the side of a mountain, the first thing which should cross your mind is why am I here, or at least you should be worried about this, but I’m not and that is really strange. I find that I couldn’t care less why I am there or even what I was doing any time before this, what could have been going through the mind of a farmers daughter to bring her to this place, in this weather and only wearing what I am, never mind about the chains themselves.

As I am asking myself these questions and wracking my brain over them, warm steam starts to come out of the cave opposite me and albeit it I am more than thankful for the heat, while wishing my mind would hurry up and catch up with itself and become scared, especially when the dragon appears. Dragons are scary and I should rightly be terrified, but still I am not, something is desperately wrong with me, dragons are known for breathing fire, raining down destruction and tormenting their victims before eating them, so I really should figure out what is going on and why I am there before I become the next sacrificed lamb, so to speak.

Will I become a snack for this dragon in front of me, or will I even care if I do? This is a fantasy tale of dragons, magic and one very spirited young woman where nothing is as it seems and danger is everywhere she looks, but will her sacrifice be in vain? This story will keep you reading as it hooks you into a tale which enchants and enthrals.
Profile Image for Jenni.
7,273 reviews96 followers
November 2, 2022
3 stars

The Sacrifice is the first book in this YA fantasy series, Dragonpets. R.L.S. has written for a targeted audience of young adults though sometimes, it felt that the story was for an even younger audience, older teenagers.

The plot is an interesting idea and has a potential to be so much more. The characters could be fleshed out/developed a little more giving us more of an understanding of who they are and where they come from. With more depth to them as people/creatures making them easier to relate to. The world building also needs to be explored/developed more. All in all, there were a lot of unanswered questions for me as a reader.

The expectation for some intensity, suspense or even some intrigue never came made it hard to remain fully focused and present with what was going on. As this is the first book in the series, I am hopeful this will happen. It may just be my age that I could not fully relate to or immerse myself in the story.

If you are a YA and love Dragons and magical creatures give this one a go.
Profile Image for Anna Hirsch.
839 reviews14 followers
November 18, 2022
The Sacrifice (Dragonpets Book 1) by R.L.S Hoff
3 Stars

First off let me start by saying that I love dragons. I was very excited to pick up this book. It starts off with Rilla being left as a sacrifice for a dragon. Exciting! She expects to be eaten but the dragon is not what she expected. He was actually nice. The story took a weird turn with a tentative friendship forming. I found the story dragged a little with the banter between the two. The antagonist was present but not too involved in the story. Therefore there were mild disturbances but no real agonizing threat to add tension to the story. Towards the end, there was no exciting climax. For me, this was disappointing. I feel that if there was more character development and depth to the story, this could have been a five star review.

I liked the way Rilla grew throughout the book. She gained self confidence and became a little more independent. There were some concepts about dragons and magic that were interesting. All in all, it was enjoyable. I’ll be looking to see what happens next.
Profile Image for Lorrene Huisman.
519 reviews13 followers
November 2, 2022
I certainly was taken away with this new series. It was interesting and full of intrigue, and it had characters that you kept wanting more of! The read was a whirlwind, in a good way!

The book was complex compared to other fantasy novels I have read. The characters really made the story. I found the pace was well done, There is a lot going on, I found it helpful throughout my reading, to step back sometimes and think back on what was going on. Doing so helped everywhere come together well for me! I definitely enjoyed the author's writing and new series. Will for sure be reading the next ones in the series. As I basically devoured this book, and kept wanting more! Exceptional read! Very much enjoyed it!

If you want a fantasy read that is different in a good way, and one that will suck you in completely, then look no further! Highly recommend this series, author, and of course this book!
Profile Image for Santana.
451 reviews9 followers
November 3, 2022
At the very beginning of the book, Rilla is left as a sacrifice to a dragon. She knows not why she is there or anything but somehow feels like this is voluntary. As she sits there waiting for the dragon to inevitably kill her, she is surprised when the big black dragon asks where his yearly cow is and ushers her inside his cave to warm up. The dragon is nothing like what Rilla was told dragons were like. This dragon seemed… nice. This begins a weird friendship between Rilla and the black dragon whose name is Vidar.

At first I kind of got Beauty and the Beast vibes but then the book ebbed into much more. I really enjoyed the plot but I found the progressing of the story to be quite slow. After the first encounter with the purple dragon, I thought there would be a lot more action, unfortunately there was not. It was more of a very slow burn romance. I also found the book was very repetitive when it came to conversation and thoughts between the two main characters.
Author 13 books59 followers
November 3, 2022
5/5 Stars

The Sacrifice (Dragonpets Book 1) by R.L.S. Hoff

This is the first book I've read by the author. The Sacrifice is the first book in the Dragonpets Series. This book took me a couple hours to read. The author sure knows how to capture the reader's attention.

Rilla is put out for a sacrifice. She is told that she's going to die by the dragon. When the dragon gets there she finds that she can hear the dragon speak in her mind. As the time passes by she finds herself falling for the dragon. The quote I chose for Rilla is: “Vidar, are you all right? Can I help you in any way?”

Vidar is the dragon meant to get the cow. Only it isn't a cow he gets, it's a human. A beautiful, strong willed, and brave human woman. He marks her so she's able to enter his home. Then he marks her as his wife. He's a little shocked that she marks him. The quote I chose for Vidar is: "You’ve given me a dragon mark."

Highly recommended for YA Fantasy lovers.
Profile Image for Tracy.
368 reviews4 followers
November 26, 2022
I was looking for a book of pure escapism and it is what I found with this book.
The author sets the scene with Vidar a dragon (the last of his line) resides in Dragonhome, inside a mountain, with a distinct inner chamber for their human companions and them to share in their other form. Under a magical binding Vidar cannot resume his other self.
Rilla, the only member of her family to survive an attack on her family farm by the terror that is the purple dragon, is then given in sacrifice to a dragon; after it is discovered that she will not bend her will to that of the king’s mage.
Set with a mark to enter the companion area of Dragonhome can Rilla bond and help Vidar to overcome this issues brought about by the purple dragon.
Mountains, chambers, farms, marks and magic all described fantastically and the story itself is well written and carries you along on the journey from captive to freedom for both parties. I really am looking forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Melissa Saxton.
285 reviews6 followers
November 27, 2022
Beautifully done Fantasy novel! Rilla is chosen to be the Princes wife....or so it seems! She wakes on a mountain top dressed in silks remembering she is being sacrificed to the dragon vidhar. ... but why? She can't remember how she got here and how she became a sacrifice. The dragon however doesn't want her as a sacrifice he was after a cow and found Rilla instead.
Enter a journey of understanding Dragon relationships, bonds and marriage while Rilla who trusts no one has to trust Vidhar because she just has no one else.
The danger lurks as another dragon wants Rilla for his own and will stop at nothing to get her
Can she learn to trust, and fall in love? Will they survive the many attempts at her kidnapping and poor communication about dragon relationships?
This is very well done with multiple layers in these interesting characters that made me want so much more than the story left me with... bring on the sequel!!
Profile Image for Kennedyy.
52 reviews1 follower
August 13, 2022
This book was very strange. That’s the only world I have for it. It wasn’t bad per say but definitely not my style. The two things I really didn’t like about it were
1. How it started out. There was absolutely no background information and the first few chapters I was so confused as to what was happening. The reader is just expected to know how the world works without any explanation or worldbuilding.
2. The portrayal of women as being more of objects. Idk this book rubbed me the wrong way in how it treated women, and how the girl in this book acted. As a women myself, I felt that it was very inaccurate and I did not agree with it.
Overall this book was not for me, but again it wasn’t completely terrible.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Kerry  carr.
2,041 reviews28 followers
November 28, 2022
This is book 1 in the Dragonpets series. This is a young adult fantasy adventure and it is definately a story that grips you from start to end. I really loved the lead character of Rilla. She is a very strong and determined young woman who takes things in her stride. She has suffered so much loss and her connection with Vidar was unexpected but so lovely to read.

Rilla lost her family and her home when a dragon attacked. The next thing she knows she is tied to a rock face waiting to be sacrificed to a dragon. The dragon who she is sacrificed to isn't the same one responsible for her parents death and Vidar doesn't want to eat her. As they go through their experiences together and try to stop the enemy their feelings and relationship grows.
Its beautiful watching their relationship progress and seeing just how far they are prepared to go to protect each other and their world
Profile Image for Megan Warren.
123 reviews
October 10, 2022
spoilers

I liked it! Though she never quite came to the conclusion that she was in love with him… and the conflict seemed quite easily resolved after all that.
I wanted her to see or feel Vidars collar break free, and his attitude toward the human girls and about the bond suggested that losing the collar did change him as she had feared, but then he was all “sorry, kissy kissy, I’m my nice respectful self”
And she’s covered in gold! (Most powerful dragons are gold) but that’s never addressed and she never thinks twice about what the color means lol
And I wished for just a tiny cliff hanger to keep us coming back for book 2 but everything seemed neatly resolved and wrapped up pretty quick
Profile Image for Angela.
9,875 reviews126 followers
November 10, 2022
3 Stars

The Sacrifice is the first book in the Dragonpets series by R.L.S. Hoff. It is an original Young Adult fantasy with dragons, magic, mythical creatures, humour, banter, romance, and more.
The story was a cute and fun read, with interesting and creative world-building- but I would have loved for it to have been longer, ‘meatier’, and more in-depth. I really feel that the story would have benefitted from a little more depth and development. There are times where the story felt a rushed or skimmed over- while other parts felt like a bit of an info dump or ramble.
Overall, a fun read- but with a little tweaking this could become quite a stellar read. Will have to see how the rest of the series develops from here.
Happy Reading…

Thank you, R.L.S. Hoff!
Profile Image for Jennifer Reimer.
482 reviews10 followers
November 29, 2022
This book started off really strong and I had really high hopes for it. Rilla was left as a sacrifice for a dragon, but it turns out that this wasn’t what the dragon wanted. The friendship that forms from these two was very interesting and unexpected. But it dragged in certain parts of the story between the two that I did not enjoy that much and took a lot of head space for me to finish thru it. the way thou Rilla build up confidence and independents in the story was very exciting. But I feel like this story was missing something which made it seem like pieces were missing out. I feel there should have been more character development and more climaxes or conflicts with the characters. Overall it’s an alright read especially for teens.
Profile Image for Megan.
410 reviews
November 29, 2022
I want to start off saying that this is a YA book targeted for the YA audience. If you are looking for something darker or *spicier* this is not for you.
That being said, I really enjoyed this book. It's the first book in the Dragonpets series and I'm excited to read the others. I liked the premise of the book; however, I feel like the author could have flushed out Rilla's and Vidar's characters a bit more along with the plot line. Again, the premise is there and I think there's a lot that can be done with what R.L.S. Hoff has set up. This was a very quick read for me at less than 200 pages. There are romantic elements; however, they are very clean and age-appropriate. I would definitely recommend this YA book.
Profile Image for Jennifer .
1,720 reviews36 followers
November 30, 2022
An enjoyable YA fantasy story, and the first one in a new series, which kept me happily turning the pages. Rilla finds herself dressed in a flimsy dress, freezing and chained up, left out as a sacrifice for a dragon. She soon discovers that the dragon, Vidar is not what she expected, and is maybe not even a monster. However, Rilla is still not convinced that she wants to stay buried beneath the earth with the dragon, but she also doesn’t really have a choice. Meanwhile, her real enemy is still out there. I loved the strong, independent young woman, Rilla and thought she was a great main character, likeable and relatable. The storyline had me hooked throughout and the descriptive narrative brought the setting vividly to life, making me feel immersed in the story.
Profile Image for Shelly.
1,226 reviews3 followers
November 1, 2022
I found this book to be quite interesting. I just found myself a little lost at times. In reading the story, I felt that some of the setup of the story was missing. Other than the storyline issues, I found the characters to be quite entertaining and well written. It was interesting to watch the characters work on building a better world. It has lots of actions, drama, a bit of romance and fantasy. Basically, a little of everything for everybody. I am looking forward to reading more in the series. I actually came to enjoy it.
3,208 reviews35 followers
November 21, 2022
This is a great YA story that was a surprisingly quick and easy read. I loved the idea of this book from the moment I read the description and couldn’t wait to get started. I think overall it is a great book although I do wish at times it had a little more detail. However, I definitely became invested in the book and wanted to see how it would turn out.
This is the first book that I have read by this author and I think she has the potential to be one I read more often. This book has all the signs of a great series and I am looking forward to book two, to see if I am right.
270 reviews5 followers
November 28, 2022
I am obsessed with dragons so I had to read this book! The way it started, I was a bit confused but it quickly explained things and I absolutely fell in love with it. I loved how the bond between Rilla and Vidar developed, although I was hoping she would have admitted that she loved him. I thought she was a very determined and intelligent main character. I wish they would have explained why she started turning gold, but maybe that will be in book two. This author may very well end up being one who gets permanent real-estate on my bookshelf.
330 reviews7 followers
November 28, 2022
I thought this was such a sweet, romantic, and exciting story. Rilla was such a well written character and she was definitely feisty and not afraid to stand up to a dragon. Vidar the dragon was such a sweetheart, it was heartbreaking to learn his backstory and they he had been trapped in his dragon form. Rilla is supposed to be some sort of sacrifice for him, but instead they begin to form a bond and relationship. I thought it was adorable how they worked together to learn more about the evil dragon and grow together. I loved the ending and I am so excited to read the next book in the series!
Profile Image for Aranza.
108 reviews
November 3, 2022
The Sacrifice (Dragonpets Book 1)
By R.L.S. Hoff

3 out of 5 Stars

The Sacrifice was an easy read. It took me a few tries but once I got into it I was able to finish it the same day. The thought process of the book is interesting and has a lot of potential. I can't wait to see the characters develop in the following books. If this book pokes your curiosity as it did for me you should go ahead and give it a try. Just be mindful that this book is targeted for YA and it delivered just that.
Profile Image for Ashley Sugar.
252 reviews9 followers
November 30, 2022
I’m not usually one to read fantasy but I really enjoyed this book! I wish there was more action but I loved the dialogue. Slow burn but a page turner for me. Characters are loveable and having the dragon turn out to be nice? Who would’ve thought lol. Also the author does real well describing settings and I could easily picture everything going on inside my mind. I’m happy I gave this book a shot.
Profile Image for Rachel Moss.
584 reviews9 followers
November 30, 2022
This was a really interesting read! It was an interesting world, and story, and was very easy to read. The imagery and descriptions in this books were fantastic as well, I felt like I was right there with everything the characters did and went. The chapters were also pretty short, which made it a quick read. This is the first book I've read from this author before, and I really enjoyed it and hope to read more in the future!
Profile Image for Cheyenne Sioux.
Author 2 books43 followers
December 1, 2022
Dragon pets The Sacrifice by R.L.S Hoff

3 out of 5 stars.

I thought this was a steady, enjoyable read. Easy to escape within, not too heavy of a plot but a nice balance. I really enjoyed watching Rilla and the dragon form a friendship and Rilla’s growth throughout the story.

She definitely finds her independence and gains some much needed confidence by the end of the book.

Overall, a good read perfect for younger audiences.
Profile Image for RK Byers.
Author 8 books71 followers
July 3, 2025
never look a dragon in the eye!

this, among many other things, I learned here. like how color differentiation among dragons pointed to their specific talents. and how some, like Vidar, were so into animal husbandry that they owned lambs for pets! Rilla got a winner with that guy/dragon. Still, I could sense something was off with Sir Drake from the name alone and why did I keep reading Arkon as Akron & thinking of LeBron James?
Profile Image for Kat M.
5,343 reviews18 followers
August 14, 2022
This was the perfect start to the Dragonpets series, it was what I was hoping for in a beginning of the series. The story was perfect and I loved the dragon elements going on in this book. The characters were engaging and I look forward to getting to know them more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Feather Chelle.
Author 25 books49 followers
September 22, 2022
Great dragon story

I really enjoyed the world building and character development in this book. There is definitely some action, but much of it was relayed second-hand from the perspective of the main character, who was not always present. This was an interesting writing approach, which I quite enjoyed. I am looking forward to reading the next volume in this series for sure.
95 reviews2 followers
November 16, 2022
Wonderful book!
It draws you in and keeps you interested. I love the way it is written and so descriptive. The characters are few in detail but you still understand them and what they are going for. I usually go for more modern books but I was drawn into and keep captive the whole book. I was disappointed when it ended.
263 reviews3 followers
November 18, 2022
Wow! Imagine waking up to find that you are about to be a dragon’s meal, but it decides not to eat you, after all. You come to know the dragon, and one day you realize that you are the dragon’s pet! A nice dragon, but still… What a wonderful, magical world the author has created. Readers will relate to the characters, especially as the story unfolds. I highly recommend this book!
Profile Image for Katrina.
158 reviews
November 28, 2022
This was an interesting read with an original premise. I just wish it had a bit more depth to it. I liked Rilla and Vidar, and would have liked a bit more insight into their relationship developing. The conflict seemed to be resolved a bit too easily, both the purple dragon and later between Rilla and Vidar. I am intrigued by this series, and am curious about further stories
Profile Image for Trista Martin .
494 reviews32 followers
November 30, 2022
I started off very interested in reading this YA fantasy. However, I feel like it dragged throughout a lot of it and there was not a lot of character development. I was very confused in the beginning, but the author quickly explains what is happening. I would recommend this series for preteens-young teens.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews