Another amazing book by an author I've loved since the Summoner Series! I love his ability to create worlds and his characters are always top notch!

I had very high hopes for this book and was looking for a truly epic dragon book to fall in love with, unfortunately I think the marketing did this book a huge disservice. Had this been marketed as YA, I think that my expectations would have been appropriately set. However, going into this hoping for am epic adult dragon fantasy left me a bit disappointed.

Pacing was very slow. It felt like a lot had happened but also like nothing had happened. The characters aren't super developed, so it was difficult for me to get attached to them.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Dragon Rider

Author: Taran Matharu

Book Series: The Soulbound Saga book 1

Rating: 1/5

Diversity: Character who uses a wheelchair

Recommended For...: adult book readers, epic fantasy, high fantasy

Publication Date: April 23, 2024

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Age Relevance: 18+ (sexual innuendo, death, parental death, war, language, animal hunting, animal injury, prejudice/racism, slavery, alcohol consumption, etc.)

Explanation of Above: I DNF’d this read at about 25% in. In that timespan, I observed the following: sexual innuendos. Death and parental death. On-going war, prejudice, racism, and slavery. Strong language. Animal hunting detailed and injury to an animal. Alcohol consumption shown on page.

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Pages: 576

Synopsis: Can an orphan captive learn the secrets of the Dragon Riders to stand up and avenge his people? Jai lives as a royal hostage in the Sabine Court—ever since his father Rohan, leader of the Steppefolk, led a failed rebellion and was executed by the very emperor Jai now serves. When the emperor’s son and heir is betrothed to Princess Erica of the neighboring Dansk Kingdom, she brings with her dragons. Endemic to the northern nation, these powerful beasts come in several forms, but mystery surrounds them. Only Dansk royalty know the secret to soulbonding with these dangerous beasts to draw on their power and strength. This marriage—and the alliance that forms—will change that forever. But conspirators lurk in the shadows, and soon the Sabine Court is in chaos. With his life in danger, Jai uses the opportunity to escape with the Dansk handmaiden, Frida, and a stolen hatchling. Hunted at every turn, he must learn to cultivate magic and become a soulbound warrior if he has any chance of finding safety, seizing his destiny…and seeking his revenge.

Review: I was really disappointed in this book. I was a fan of Taren Matharu's other series (Contender) and I expected that the series would be a lot like that other one. I was really excited to read it and then I actually read this. This book feels like it's trying way too hard to be Game of Thrones. You have to read the synopsis to understand what is going on in the first part of the book and it doesn't even really entirely explain what the hell is going on. I felt very confused and frustrated by having to constantly work. My brain really hard to understand what I was reading and it just wasn't something that I was looking forward to anymore after about 10% in. I did last until about 25% but I was not a happy reader. The happiest that I was when reading that book was when I decided to stop reading it.

Verdict: It was not for me, but it might be for you.

"Taran Matharu returns with 'Dragon Rider,' a thrilling adventure that seamlessly blends fantasy, friendship, and the exhilarating allure of dragon lore. Set in a world where mythical creatures roam and magic pulses through the land, Matharu crafts a tale that captivates from the very first page.

At the heart of the story is Azreal, a young dragon rider whose destiny takes an unexpected turn when he discovers a mysterious egg thought to be extinct. As Azreal embarks on a perilous journey to protect the egg and uncover its secrets, he must navigate treacherous landscapes, evade formidable foes, and forge alliances with unlikely companions.

Matharu's world-building is nothing short of spectacular, painting a vivid tapestry of landscapes teeming with magical creatures and cultures rich in history. From bustling cities to enchanted forests, each setting feels immersive and alive, inviting readers to explore alongside Azreal and his eclectic band of allies.

The characters in 'Dragon Rider' are a true highlight, each imbued with distinct personalities and motivations that drive the narrative forward. Azreal's growth from a hesitant youth to a brave protector is a compelling arc, supported by the steadfast loyalty of his dragon and the camaraderie of his friends. The dynamics between characters are authentic and heartfelt, adding layers of depth to the story's emotional core.

Throughout the novel, Matharu expertly balances moments of intense action with quieter, introspective scenes that delve into themes of identity, courage, and the bonds that unite us. The pacing is brisk, keeping readers on the edge of their seats while also allowing for moments of reflection and character development.

'Dragon Rider' is a testament to Matharu's storytelling prowess, offering readers of all ages an enthralling tale of adventure, discovery, and the enduring power of friendship. With its blend of fantasy elements and universal themes, this novel is sure to resonate with fans of dragon-centric adventures and epic quests alike.

In conclusion, 'Dragon Rider' not only delivers on the promise of its premise but surpasses expectations, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in what promises to be a standout series in contemporary fantasy literature. Matharu has once again proven himself a master of the genre, and 'Dragon Rider' is a must-read for anyone seeking an exhilarating journey into realms where dragons soar and heroes rise."

I found Matharu’s Dragon Rider to be a middle of the pack kind of story. There were all the elements of a great tale: warring kingdoms, magical creatures, a dangerous journey, and mismatched companions. But somehow the mix just didn’t make it past okay.

The characters didn’t quite grab me. They were alright, I wanted them to succeed, but I wasn’t caught up in their struggles. Winter, Jai’s dragon, was cute and playful but I didn’t quite want to take her home. Rufus, their hired help, was lovably flawed, but I didn’t want to hang out by the campfire with him.

Full review at link https://thecosmiccircus.com/book-review-dragon-rider-by-taran-matharu/

This was an overall good reading experience for me. I don't think it was exactly what I was expecting but I enjoyed the adventure and politics of this b99k a lot. The creatures and magic system were interesting, and the world building was very descriptive. I do wish the pacing was a little better, but that could just be a me thing, always wanting fantasy books to move at a fast pace from beginning to end.

If you like dragon books, with extensive world building and unexpected twists and good character development, then I recommend this one.

Thank you Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the e-arcof this book.

I think this book is a promising start to an amazing dragon rider series, from the world building, the political intrigue, creative creatures and interesting magic system. It was a slow start for me and took me awhile to be invested in the characters but I overall enjoyed it !

Really enjoyed this one. Very Slow build up. I would say this book is one where your in it for the long run there’s not a crazy amount of pay off but it leaves you super excited for the next book in the series

Thank you Harper voyager for the early copy!
This definitely gave adult eragon vibes, I’ve been living for the dragon books lately this book for me was a little slow starting. Which could almost be expected for the beginning of a new fantasy series but I’m interested to see what they do with the sequel!

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.