Rating: 3.5

“Dragon Rider” was a fun fantasy book to read and I’d recommend to fans of Eragaon and Game of Thrones. I thought the magic of bonding with animals was cool but would appreciate more explanation to the types and the powers that came with it - maybe a glossary of sorts. Overall, I think the epilogue was great and leaves me ready to read the sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

A very fun fantasy-heavy dragon-bonding book!

I really enjoyed the soulbonding with Jai and Winter. I haven't seen this kind of magic explored as deeply as the author has. I also enjoyed the magic that came with it and how Jai really had to work hard to become powerful instead of being already overpowered from the beginning. Usually magic animal bonding stuff is very surface level and quickly ignored but I really enjoyed how Matharu dived deep into the concept itself.

My main issue is with the 3rd act of the book, it really slogged along. I really enjoyed it up to that part. Then I was super over it...I wasn't a huge fan of the ending either, too many cliffhangers.

I enjoyed Rufus & Winter, they were pretty fascinating characters!

World building for this book is attempted to be spread out, which helps easing into the world, but this also makes it a slow starter. It wasn't anything that blew me away, but overall the book was good. It feels a bit formulaic and like it's trying to capitalize on the success of a similarly themed dragon book. I know this sounds foolish, but I strongly dislike the characters' names. I will say, I wanted to know what would happen next and where our characters would end up, so there's that.

Thank you Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

2024 seems to be the year of the dragon for upcoming fantasy and I am not complaining about it! Dragon Rider was my first book from Matharu and I was not disappointed! Dragon Rider is perfect for fans of The Will of the Many, The Bound and the Broken Saga, and An Ember in the Ashes!

Jai was a compelling main character that I was rooting for from the very beginning. I loved watching Jai’s bond with his dragon, Winter develop and see his magic progress as his bond with Winter grew stronger. The chapters are short so the plot moves at a fast pace. Each time I finished a chapter I felt like I needed to know what happened next.

I thought Dragon Rider checked all of the boxes for a great start to a fantasy series. There’s political intrigue, heroes and villains with complex character development, all set in a world that felt very tangible. I’m excited to see where the next book goes and will absolutely be continuing the series!

This book seemed like it was really going to take off and could be interesting but when I started reading through the events it was hard to keep track of the characters at first and then I wasn’t sure why he was narrating for someone. Then it became super graphic and I didn’t enjoy reading those details. After the graphic scenes it again died off. I stopped reading the book at 67% as their trip with Rufus just seemed to continue to go nowhere and I was losing interest in the book.

This does not meant the author doesn’t know how to write. This book just is not for me. If I pick it back up and finish it one day, I will come update my review.

I've sat on this review for a while as I couldn't quite decide on my rating. I find Dragon Rider falls somewhere between a 3.5 - 4 star book, so let's just go with 3.75 pending sequel ;)

Jai is an OK MC. He's not terribly interesting, but the relationship he has with Winter is adorable and I loved it. I'm hoping as the story progresses he develops more as right now Jai feels very much like typical young male hero (complete with random eye oogling of female characters). The magic system is great. I love the diversity of mythical creatures, not just one versus another, but a wide range that all have some impact culturally. The story itself is fast paced and political. Some parts drag, but overall I found the book to be enjoyable and look forward to the sequel. Dragon Rider does end on a semi-cliff hanger but its not the worst I've read. More like a lead into the next book.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If I could succinctly describe Taran Matharu’s new book, it would simply be: “Eragon” if it were written for adults, by an adult.

Which is to say, “Dragon Rider” is a high fantasy with a lot of cultural richness and depth rather than Star Wars/Lord of the Rings tropes. It’s set in a world reminiscent of our own, but with soul-bindings to fantastical creatures like gryphons, dragons, chamroshes and various prehistoric beasts, and gives us a suitably underdog hero with the odds against him – and a baby dragon to help him bounce back.

As the third, least important son to the dead king of the Steppefolk, Jai is kept as a hostage in the Sabine Empire’s court. Specifically, as the personal attendant to the elderly, neglected ex-emperor Leonid. It gives him a front row seat to the dynamics of the new emperor’s court, but no respect – and a lot of hostility from the crown prince Titus and his friends, who see the Steppefolk as their barbarian inferiors. When Jai catches wind of a conspiracy against the visiting Dansk king, whose daughter is to marry Titus, he does his best to stop anyone from dying… only to lose everyone important to him.

And soon he finds himself lost in a freezing wilderness, surrounded by corpses… and most unexpectedly with a dragon egg. Without meaning to, he ends up soulbinding to the white infant dragon – and also ends up running into a prickly Dansk handmaiden named Frida, who knows something about being bound to a dragon. To save himself and his hatchling, Jai needs to get back to the Steppefolk, but staying alive in Sabine territory is the bigger immediate problem.

Taran Matharu’s fantasy world is reminiscent of our own in a lot of ways, mostly culturally: the Dansk (Northern European), the Steppefolk (Central Asians), the Sabines (Southern Europeans) and hints of other cultures like the Phoenix Empire (East Asia). It lends a lot of richness and depth to a fantasy story that is basically about becoming the spiritually-bonded partner of a mythical creature, and Matharu manages to evoke the feeling of a lot of history and complexity behind his tale.

It’s also distinctive because it takes some cues from Chinese cultivation fiction; it’s not a precise copying of its tropes, but the general ideas are there and integrated into the idea of soulbinding. The person in question learns how to acquire and store magical energy in a physical core, becoming stronger, physically purer and in possession of magical abilities. But it doesn’t make them all-powerful, and having a dragon doesn’t really keep Jai from being in constant danger (especially since she’s so small). So there’s plenty of suspense, action, grit, gore and dramatic confrontations.

Jai himself is a good underdog hero – not particularly exceptional, but he starts off as an ordinary kid that nobody expects anything from, relegated to a role nobody wants (which involves wiping an old man’s butt). He first starts to flower when he deduces that a conspiracy might be afoot, and tries to do the right thing – only for everything to implode in front of him. His relationships with other characters are pretty well-developed and enjoyable – his potentially romantic, slightly prickly connection with Frida, his immediate loving bond with Winter, and the quasi-father/son relationship he has with Leonid (who, to complicate things, personally executed Jai’s actual father). And then there’s Rufus, the mysterious old warrior with his own motives and complex history.

“Dragon Rider” takes a little time to get to any serious draconic action, but the destination is well-worth the journey. Well-rounded, vibrant and gritty, with plenty of room to flower in the future.

I feel in the middle for this one. I love the idea of everything, the premise so interesting. The execution however was not very good.
The world was interesting in thought but the way it was described didn’t help me understand anything. Many areas of the book had info-dumping but even with the info-dump there were still many things that were explained well.
My biggest issue was the pacing. It was fast in some parts. Slow in others. I’d be engaged in some and not in others. I wish it were more consistent. The chapters as well were irritating. I don’t mind short chapters but many of them ended where it shouldn’t have. There was no reason to split chapters in two when it just could’ve continued in the previous. There should not be 101 chapters. It could’ve easily been cut down. I think the book as a whole could’ve done a lot more editing so it wouldn’t be a 500+ page book.
I did like the writing. I liked the beginning and the actual plot of the book. I would be interested in reading the sequel.
Overall, the book is middle ground. Good for some, bad for others.

BK-17
4.5⭐️
(Clean)

POV: 3rd Person

I am blown away by this book! Absolutely amazing! I will be sticking with this series to the end! The world building was amazing, and he actually built up the magic system! I'm already chomping at the bit for book 2!

While there were spots that I felt the drag, it was like a Pierce Brown book where all the information felt important.

My only issue is the title, as our MMC never actually rides a dragon........

A slow start with lots of characters to keep track of but the build up is worth it. As political games explode into treachery Jai, a political prisoner since childhood, Winter (his newly hatched dragon that he has soulbound himself to), and the handmaiden Frida flee for their lives to their countries to help them survive the war that will follow.

Violence, magic and a struggle for survival drive the book forward for the last 3/4 of the book. The world-building is good and the magic system is developed. However, some of the focus on developing Jai's mana get repetitive and the application of magic is a bit vague. Maybe that will be detailed more in future books.

I love the relationship between Jai and Winter. Even though Winter is newly hatched she has a lot of personality and quickly proves to be stubborn and very lovable. Frida and Jai both have their secrets and don't know if they can trust each other. That slowly changes as they travel together, risking their lives for each other and needing to depend on each other just to survive. But whatever is developing between them may be sacrificed as each is determined to return to their own country to help them to prepare for the war coming from the court they just fled from.

There is definitely violence and some gross moments that might be too much for some people. Overall, though, I didn't find the violence too detailed but it is dark.

I was drawn into the story very quickly and glued to it to the end. Parts of the beginning could have been condensed a bit but it didn't deter me from reading on. Dragons, magic, political intrigue, an interesting world and plenty of action are all ingredients for a very good read in my opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

In Taran Matharu’s tale of a future Dragon Rider (hard from Harper Voyager) magic is utilized by those who are soulbound to an animal. Sabine has been slowly conquering the kingdoms around it. Jai of the Steppefolk is a royal hostage who acts as a nurse to the aging first Emperor. The imperial heir is engaged to Princess Erica of Dansk, the only country known to have soulbounded to dragons. An evil plot sees lots of dignitaries murdered at the wedding, including Jai’s older brothers. In escaping, Jai hides in a dragon’s corpse and discovers a hidden dragon egg which he helps hatch and somehow bonds to the young dragon he calls winter. Soon Jai and Erica’s handmaiden, Frida, are on the run looking for safety. This is an intense adventure where Jsi has to face horrible tortures including being hung from a pole to die, while he learns the magic he now has to. I couldn’t put the book down and look eagerly to the next part of the tale.

Ooh, this was a very promising start to a new adult fantasy series! I definitely liked the first 25-30% best, and definitely felt the middle/end dragged and could have benefited from some editing, BUT I was still hooked and read this way faster than I would normally read an almost 600 page adult fantasy.

If you love dragons and are okay with some horrifying violence - this is for you!

This is a fantasy/dragon book that deserves more hype. Insta and TikTok should be all over this but yet I've heard nothing?! I received an e-arc but once the book was published I immediately went out and bought a physical copy, I need the trophy sitting on my future bookshelf.

When I saw how long the book was I was a bit concerned that the world building portion would be boring, sometimes my mind will tend to drift during this portion of larger fantasy novels, but I am pleased to say that didn't happen with this book.

And the twist that came at the end? *Chefs kiss* Normally I can predict things like that but I didn't here and it made this read that much more enjoyable.

And not to be dramatic but I would die for Winter (Jai's, the MMC, baby dragon).

I will be very patiently & eagerly anticipating the next installment.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVoyager for providing an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a journey! I am a dragon girly, so it doesn't come as much of a surprise that if you give me a story with dragons AND soul bonding, I am going to get hooked. At times I thought the pacing was a bit slow, but all in all I really enjoyed this one. I am excited to see where this story goes.

3.5⭐️

Such a good start to a fantasy series! I really enjoyed the politics, how brutal this was, and the discussion on the theme of colonialism.

However some of the language used in this did not fit the tone of the book. Like why is “fart” and “arsewipe” used in this incredibly brutal book. It was not funny to me at all and took me out of the story, but alas I am not a man.

Still enjoyed this tho and would consider continuing this series!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my review.

The first time I tried to read this I gave up at CH5. The second I was intrigued from the start. Must have been just one of those days. Good adventure and magic story. Not sure why but I really like Rufus and Winter is just adorable. I guessed the secret almost from the start. Of course it ends on a cliffhanger.

This book gets rounded up just for the entertainment and how quickly I binged through it! This book had its problems. I was not blind to the way the author wrote women characters (a usual occurrence with the male gaze), and the way the naive MC, our young sheltered boy, was able to do everything in extreme abilities and quickness. It just wasn't feasible in the sense that he's weak and barely surviving in one instance, but then learns and is able to evolve fast without much help. We have the typical Hero character that grows faster than the rest of the world (I'm special trope).

A lot of other side characters were there just as place holders. Building up their storyline just to be killed in the next chapter. Not that they would be missed, but too much time was spent on them in my opinion, without any reward in the end.

As a lot of other reviewers have said, the pacing was weird. Sometimes spent too much time on certain political explanations, or world building, or just being stuck in one place for way too long.. it felt very back and forth. Though the ending was easier and faster to consume and get through.

I'm sure there are more plot holes in this book that when you slow down and look at closer just don't make sense. But overall an entertaining plot and story built on revenge, colonization, secret royalty, and the hero troped. Im intrigued to see where this story goes, and how Jai will get on with the dragons.

I have yet to finish this, it’s honestly hard to. It’s extremely misogynistic and grotesque. I’m fine with violence and gore in a book but this pushed the limits. If the point of the book isn’t to fight the misogyny then why is it there?

Wow!! Incredible beginning to a new saga! I found this book pulled me in from the first chapter, I had to find out what was going to happen. I LOVE political intrigue and unique magic systems so this book was PERFECT for me. Also, dragons. I seriously have no criticisms for this book. The characters feel real and fleshed out, partly because they just go through so MUCH. The story moves along quickly, I was able to finish this book in a day.

Jai is a prisoner who has been servant to the old emperor, whom killed his father, for most of his life. Living at the Sabine Court, he’s caretaker and a sort of companion to the former emperor, Leonid. His older brothers are also prisoners, but they serve as companions to Prince Titus, the current emperor’s son. Emperor Constantine has arranged a marriage between his son and the princess of the Dansk kingdom, dragon riders, to broker peace and add their soulbond dragons to their gryphon riders. The elderly former emperor asks Jai to keep an eye on the Dansk while they are staying at the palace. Things get chaotic and Jai escapes with his life and a Dansk handmaiden..

This is a rich and epic story and I cannot wait for the next installment. This was my first book by Matharu but I can’t wait to read more from this author. Definitely a 5 star read for me. Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Voyager for my ARC copy!

I completely loved Taran Matharu’s writing style! I loved the level of detail in the world building and the characters. I thought overall that the book was really interesting, especially the first 1/3rd of the book. There were some plot points I didn’t see coming and others that were predictable. I won’t say what for sake of avoiding spoilers.

Dragon Rider has politics, dragons, magic, and so much more! We follow Jai as he escapes his servitude with the emperor. The very one who kills his father. In his escape, he runs into Frida (the princess’s handmaiden) and they go on this entire escape journey together. I would say that a majority of the book takes place in the woods/forest with them on the run. I felt like this part was entirely drawn out and slow.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed it as a whole! I think it’s perfect for those who are looking for a story with dragons and politics without the romance.