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.

Let me preface this by saying that I like to go into a lot of the books I read almost completely blind - I base what I like to read off of the cover art and the title. So going into Dragon Rider, I wasn't 100% sure what to expect except there would be some dragon riding.

There wasn't very much dragon riding in this book. (Ha-Ha)

On a more serious note, the world building for this book is attempted to be spread throughout which helps easing into the world, but the first 1/3 of the book was a little difficult to get through. I never considered not continuing to read as I know with high fantasy, sometimes theres a lot of dense world building and back stories to build before you can get to the nice juicy bits. Once you hit roughly 30-35% into the book, it starts to take off. It wasn't anything that blew my mind and made me super excited to read but it still held my attention and I wanted to know what would happen next and where our characters would go and what they would do.

Dragon Rider follows Jai, a royal Steppeman who has been taken hostage by the enemy along with his brothers. They are raised in the Sabine court as - basically - servants. Chaos ensues when the prince of the Sabine is set to marry the princess of the dragon riders - the Dansk. Jai finds himself in a precarious situation in which he must escape with the Dansk princess's handmaiden. A dragon hatching is stolen (rightfully obtained, if you ask me) somewhere along the way, and Jai and Frida are hunted by the Sabine.

Dragon Rider was a good read, but not one I would recommend to everyone. While I have my reservations about the book, I am excited to see where Jai and Frida end up in the next book!

I wish there was a little more romance but fourth wing lovers would definitely enjoy Dragon rider! The short chapters also helped with the pacing of the story!

This book was great! It had everything that I was looking for in the time that I read it. Great world building and character development was on point! I would recommend this book and look forward to the next one!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this e-ARC! I do my reviews on my social media platforms. I am currently working on getting through my reviews so stay tuned! Leaving a rating as a placeholder for me and to not effect the books rating in order to post this. Thanks again!

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley, though all thoughts are my own.

This book has an interesting storyline, and I couldn't resist since I knew there would be at least one Dragon in the story. What I was expecting was some of the twists, nor just how intense it would be at times, but I think it added more intrigue to the story.

I loved the mythology mentioned particularly the mythical creatures like the Dragons, Griffins, and Phoenixes. The last two were mentioned, but they haven't appeared in this storyline so far.

I adore Winter the Dragon, who is equal parts stubborn, brave, and for sure, someone you want on your side.

I also adore Navi, who is such a brave and loyal companion.

I'm really curious to hopefully learn more about Jai's heritage and his bond with Winter.

I'm looking forward to continuing this series, and I'm excited to see if more mythical creatures appear, plus more adventures with Winter!

Trigger warnings: death of people, death of animals, murder, poisoning, disease, forced servitude, war, kidnapping, torture, regicide

I was a bit disappointed with this one...

First what I liked. The writing flows well enough. It's not flowery, what I think helps a lot in the first book in a fantasy series. The worldbuilding is well done; I really got a feel for the different cultures in the world and how the world works. I really liked the idea of bonding with the magical creature and everything realted to that: how it works, what happens to the human, and the communication and link between the human and the creature.

Unfortunately, that was it.

There were a couple of "plot twists" that were just so obvious. The first one, the reader knows it's going to happen and it takes so long for the "betrayal" to happen. I think the second one that comes by the end of the book related to one of the friends of the main character was especially clear since the beginning. And how it was set up, it was to be a big moment for the reader as well. But I just felt that I was just waiting for the main character to catch up. And the pacing is so wonky: in some parts is just so slow (and I like slow books) and in others it was so fast.

There are things that just don't make sense but are just too spoiler-y to talk about (a certain hidden army for example, and the placid reaction to the warning of a potential betrayal and so many other instances). But they have to happen for the book to move along. But it doesn't make sense. If to further the story, the book needs a bunch of coincidences and bad decision making from the characters to work, the story is just not well plotted in my opinion.

The characters aside from Jai are just there to boost his journey. We have the characters that we know when introduced are gonna die (the nice, extremely supportive ones), the "unlikely" mentor, and the love interest. That character is the most disappointing to me; supposedly she has some agency but we never see it. Her beauty is ALWAYS talked about, even after a really traumatic event. But we really don't know anything else about her: just that she is beautiful and a good fighter (and we don't even see her fighting that much, maybe once?!).

By the end, this book was so meh, and with such a cool magic system, that is a huge let down.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.