Ashwalker by S.M. Gaither — book slip

Arowyn Vale is an ashwalker, one of the few daring enough to traverse the dangerous roads between the walled cities of a shattered empire.

Her life takes a dramatic turn when she saves a dying dragon hatchling, catching the attention of King Reave Callahan of Mouren.

Once a realm where people bonded with dragons to wield powerful magic, Mouren now demands anyone who bonds with a dragon must serve the crown.

Arowyn, a smuggler from the slums, is thrust into a world of glittering courts and deadly politics.

As her bond with the hatchling grows, she must decide whether to become a weapon for the kingdom that destroyed her world or to ignite a rebellion from within.

First in The Emberfall Trilogy.