Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. I had a really fun time with this book I liked the main character a lot and I of course love winter. I liked how the author went about explaining the magic system in this book. I will say though I did see the big reveal coming and guessed from the beginning of the book.I have read his other books and really liked those ones so reading this makes me want to reread them. I can’t wait for to read the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyaget for this earc

This book wasn’t bad. It was just very, very long and it didn’t need to be. It could have used a little more world building and character relationships if the author wanted it to be this long.

It was very easy to put it down because nothing was happening. It was a little hard to follow the geography as well.

From writing point of view, I think it would made more sense to split the book into “parts” that way it would feel like every part was a little book and it wouldn’t feel this dragged out.

What I did like? Dragons. And magic. And dragons. I wanted more of that. And of course all the secret and not so secret royalty. It could have been so fun.

Dragon Rider
by Taran Matharu
The Soulbound Saga #1
Epic Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Apr. 23, 2024
Avon and Harper Voyager
Ages: 16+

After his father died in the rebellion against the Sabine Court, Jai, along with his brothers, are now hostages. For years he's served as the caretaker of the elderly ex-emperor who killed his father, while his brothers serve the old man's grandson, who is to marry the Princess of the Dansk Kingdom, and she brings with her a dragon and the knowledge to soulbond with it.

Adding soulbond dragons with their legion of soulbond griffins would give the Sabines the power to rule over everyone.

But conspirators send the court into chaos, and Jai knows the truth and escapes with a dragon hatchling no one knows about. Crossing paths with the Princess's handmaiden, she and Jai make their way to the border where their two lands meet, but the lie of their 'betrayal' travels fast.


Not a whole lot of violence in this, but of what there is, it's dark. Not graphic, but if you have a good imagination... This first book has a lot of politics, and there are a lot of characters/tribes whom the Sabine rulers invaded, destroyed, or accepted their surrender without a fight, but sadly it felt as if all that information wasn't given slowly enough, so they jumbled up together, and there wasn't a lot of time to 'relate' to one before another was introduced. I'm still not sure how many other 'tribes' there are other than the three that this book is centered around, but I know there is at least one, maybe two more.

I did like the story, and it mostly moved along at a quick pace. I'm not sure how old Jai is, I think he is supposed to be in his late teens, but a lot of the time he seemed more like a fourteen/fifteen-year-old. His 'soul-searching' did slow the story down a lot and it got boring because most of it was repetitive of his last 'search'. I get why he needed to do it, but it was the same thing over and over again, with the same outcome.

I did hate how it ended in a major cliffhanger, which did lower my excitement for the next book.

A low...

4 Stars

This book was amazing from start to finish. There were no lulls. There's always something going on. Poor Jai can't catch a break. Taran wrote such amazing characters where you truly felt for them. You wanted them to win so badly! I felt the world building was so easy to understand. The sense of found family was great. I truly loved where the book left off because it left it wide open and there's so much to be resolved. I cannot wait for the next book and to see where it goes!
Don't go into this thinking you're getting Fourth Wing because others are comparing them. They are completely different.

DNF at 39% (CH40)

I read Taran Matharu's first YA series ages ago, and I loved it! I was excited to read this one, especially with the promise of dragons.

Unfortunately, this book was very decidedly not for me. The thing I am most frustrated about though is that I was intrigued by the plot and the world that was set up in this first 39% of the book. The thing that really did not work for me is the authorial voice/tone. I think that sometimes there can be a particularly gross and crass tone to high fantasy, especially those written by male authors. I feel like for the most part, this was much more prevalent in the older works in the genre, but it is still something I come across here and there and it makes me cringe. This book has that. At first there were unnecessarily crass descriptions thrown in here and there that were completely unnecessary, oftentimes about characters' genitals. It wasn't even crass humor, it was just unnecessary lewd descriptions that just seemed thrown in to make it feel more "adult." Then we got more into the action that would set up the story, and it was extremely graphic in a way that didn't add to the story, but just felt over the top. But even through all that, I was going to push through because I was intrigued by the story and wanted to see where it went. But then there was an unnecessarily graphic on-page depiction of the MC killing a tiger with a broken tree branch, and I was done.

I think that the character is also set up to this point to be incredibly naive due to his life circumstances, which is fine, but he was also being set up to make deeply idiotic decisions, and if the only thing that was going to carry me forward was going to be a baby dragon and the plot, I had a feeling that this would end up being a book I disliked more for having finished it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for an eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for giving me an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!

DNF 24% of the way through. I have… some thoughts about this book. Before I get to that though— this book is being marketed as “good for fans of ‘Fourth Wing,’” or, in some cases, “the new ‘Fourth Wing,’” but I haven’t read FW so I cannot speak to the validity of these statements— however, I really really doubt it.

Anyway, onto an actual review, of the quarter of the book I read anyway. The summary of the book itself tells you about how Jai (the protagonist) steals a dragon egg and runs away from his life as a political prisoner. You know what hadn’t even come close to happening in the portion of the book I read? That. That’s right, the inciting action of the novel had not yet occurred and I was a quarter of the way through. This is simply poor writing and shows the lack of even basic understanding of how to structure a novel.

So, what *did* happen in that first 24%? So much dick and ball talk— and I mean SO MUCH. (Hopefully this review doesn’t get me banned from GR for language lol.) I swear it felt like every other page there was some mention of someone’s unmentionables— it was exhausting. It’s been awhile since I’ve been subjected to “Men Writing Fantasy”— but this book was a prime example. (To be clear, plenty of men write fantasy really well, but there’s a specific group that really cannot seem to focus on anything except writing about men’s… anatomy— and women’s. This is what I mean by “Men Writing Fantasy.”)

Anyway, don’t waste your time with this book. If you’re looking for the next “Fourth Wing,” keep looking.

Gonna be verrrrrry honest about this but I dnf'd not even like 10 pages in. I think it has to do more with my headspace than anything else so I'll try again after it's published!

(only gave a star because i had to)

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I will not be finishing. DNF. I just cannot connect with anything going on. I’m only rating and reviewing to not hurt my feedback ratio.

i was very much intrigued with wanting to read this book because of the word dragon. A lot of books have been popping up lately with them in it and I definitely love reading about them, even if they are not always the star of the show. This would be the case for this book.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Jai. He is an orphan captive who works for the royal family who killed his father in battle. This made for an interesting backstory and does add to the overall plot. He also has two brothers who are in service to the royals as well. I do enjoy a good sibling bond and was disappointed that it didn’t turn out the way I would have liked. Since the reader is told more about the sibling bond than it actually being shown besides one scene I just didn’t feel anything towards the situation that arises with them. I felt this way for a lot of the plot twists actually. One I saw coming from the beginning. Jai does care about those close to him and dislikes seeing all of the death caused by war and will try to do anything to stop it even if it means risking his own life.

There are a lot of characters playing roles in helping move the plot along and I thought they were fine, but some don’t last long in the book and so its hard to actual feel anything towards them. I am not really sure I understand the villain well. He seemed to just go full throttle on his plan without the reader even understanding why.

When it came to the dragons I was disappointed. They are very minor in the beginning of this series and if something has dragon in the title, especially followed by rider, I expected that. I am sure it will happen in book two, but it really threw off my expectations. What we got when it came to the dragons was fine, it kind of reminded me of Eragon in some ways. I do think that the book focuses more on politics which is fine because I liked reading about it.

The pacing was a miss for me. I struggled to get through the first 35% of the book. I kept putting it down to read something else and dreaded picking it back up to finish. The rest of the book moved a bit quicker, but there were still lulls and I think shortening the book would have made it easier on me to get through.

Overall, this was decent. I did struggle with it but as the book went on it got a bit better. I would potentially try the sequel, but I will wait to see.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I had really high hopes for this one after hearing all about it on booktok months ago. I was soo excited to get accepted for an eARC!

I did really enjoy this. It started off quite slow and felt more slower paced until the very end. Which is okay because there was definitely some world building to pick up on. The intricacy of the magic system was really cool and I enjoyed all the detail. The main characters were all likable, for the most part - Jai, Frida, and Rufus - though I wish Frida would have opened up more earlier on because she seemed to keep to herself mostly, which I assume is because of the secret she kept. The ending was great (epilogue) and was truly what I hoped would happen but the end of the last chapter had me worried it was going to go in a different direction.

Some things that would have made this a 5⭐️ read - more dragon action! Jai is soulbound to Winter but I feel like Winter did not have a big part in this book until the end as she was always hiding and staying out of sight. Additionally, the title is a bit misleading as Winter still has not grown large enough to be ridden by the end of this book. I would have liked Jai to at least be able to ride her by the end of the book.

I am definitely going to be continuing this series and cannot wait to see where this adventure takes Jai and Frida - and hopefully Rufus too!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for approving my request for an early copy!

OF COURSE I have to put in a request the moment I discover any dragon read.

Dragon rider did not disappoint. A good portion of the book is world building and since this is going to be a trilogy it only makes sense. But within the world building we learn about our main characters and some concepts unique to this book. One of my favorite developments is the concept of the soul bond. Fans of Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy might appreciate the soul bond element in Dragon Rider. And fans of Fourth Wing’s Andarna will simply adore Winter!
Can’t wait for the next book!
And if you haven’t checked out the cover of the UK copy - go do it now! It may be one of the most beautiful dragon covers I’ve seen.

Jai has been a political prisoner in servitude for most of his life! Ever since his father's rebellion failed, he and his brothers were taken to the Sabine Court to keep their home country in line.. Now with his brothers serving the heir to the empire, and Jai as the ex-emperor's servant they live in stasis until they reach the age of twenty…

When the heir is engaged to the northern princess, she brings with her dragons! Only the royals of Dansk (northern kingdom) know the secret to soulbounding and with this alliance peace will be restored to the land.

However, insurrection and backstabbing erupts, and the Sabine Court is overthrown! Jai then escapes with a dragon egg and the Dansk handmaiden. Together they must make their way safely across dangerous territories before breaking off to get back to their respective homes. Jai must learn to breathe, wield and understand magic that connects to his very soul.. If he is successful, he can evade the enemy and seek his revenge! Will he be able to succeed? Dragon Rider takes you on an emotional journey of Jai’s quest!

Taran Matharu does an awesome job with pacing in this book! He perfectly reflected how Jai’s world turned upside down so suddenly and his quiet, deeply unhappy, life overnight became action filled as he toed the line of survival and ruin.

The magic system in the story was very interesting, yet complex for me to understand at first.. However, Matharu did a great job teaching us about it as Jai learnt it and I thought the references to the past were just nicely linked!

Overall, the book was joy for to read! Very different from the other dragon stories I’ve read so far and I can’t wait for the next installment in the series!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVoyager for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

What an amazing fantasy debut! This story has it all, court politics, poising, betrayal, brutal fight scenes, mystery, and, of course, dragons! This was a wonderfully written sweeping epic tale and I can't wait for the next book in this series!

I absolutely loved this one! I'm already itching for the next and waiting on my special edition copy to come in. I figured I would enjoy this book but had no clue how much. The character development is amazing. Some of the twists are totally unexpected and I was in tears by 20% of the way through. I loved loved loved it.

Jai has only ever known the life of being a political prisoner and serving the emperor after his father's failed rebellion that resulted in his death. Being third in line to his father's throne, his life has always been inconsequential. In a continued quest to conquer surrounding lands and building alliances, the emperor arranges a marriage between his son and the northern territory's princess Erica. This alliance comes with the promise of dragons and potentially the opportunity to bond with one. However, after an arranged marriage between the emperor's son and the Dansk princess goes wrong, Jai finds himself on the run with Erica's handmaiden, Frida, and a dragon egg.

The pair go on an epic adventure across territories in hopes of making it back to their respective homes. Along the way, Jai finds himself newly bonded to the dragon hatchling and must learn how to properly channel his newly found mana through soul breathing if they hope to survive.

While Dragon Rider doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the fantasy genre, I did enjoy the story. Matharu's writing is engaging and I overall liked the direction the story was going. I enjoyed the relationships that Jai built while on the road and appreciated the time that Matharu took to explain the magic system. My biggies qualm was with how quickly Jai was able to move through the levels of being soul bound. I would have liked to see more struggles instead of him just being able to "learn quickly".

Overall, I enjoyed the story and look forward to the next installment!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVoyager for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

not as good as i had hoped, unfortunately.

the writing is unremarkable, as are the plot, characters, and themes. what sets it apart from other dragon books? i have no idea. i would have excused this had it been well written, because all this would not have mattered if it were executed well, yet all the novel's shortcomings are highlighted by the lack of skill and poor execution.

A fantasy filled with dragons, magic and politics among kingdoms can never be boring and this one got me hooked into this series that I now eagerly wait for the next installment. Jai was a very endearing normal MC with a purpose in his life and constantly growing in personality. Dragon riders are always fascinating and when there is some mystery involved, it makes it an even better read. After reading this one, there will be many fans of Winter and it would be interesting to see how Jai's bond with Winter grows. Cant wait for the next one!

Ok. Let me start off by saying I got this book from Netgalley in exchange for my review. This has dragons which is why I had to read it.

This book was okay, it was fine, but the think it’s not my style of book. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, I did. But it wasn’t a favorite and it didn’t grip me like other reads.

You’re following an orphan (Jai) whose father was killed in a war by the people he is now enslaved by. He works as a manservant for the emperor’s father. He and his people are treated poorly and like they are disposable.

There is a marriage treaty with a northern kingdom that goes wrong after the emperors son has a nefarious plot and Jai goes on the run with the Princess handmaiden to escape and he accidentally bonds to a dragon.

There journey is sad, miserable, tedious, but with a few interesting or funny moments. I felt like this was more character than plots focused and it felt a little meandering with the plot and they just stumble from one horrible situation to another. And I don’t think the characters develop that much in the process.

I liked the dragons and the soul bonding aspects because you can bond with many creatures and that idea is really cool. When you’re soul bonded with a creature, you can be stronger than another depending on the creature and you can soul breathe to gather manna and become stronger. If you ascend, you’re REALLY strong. All of that was really cool and once you’ve grown more as a soul bonded you can use magic.

This is the authors debut adult fantasy but I feel like the author was like “how do I make the leap between YA and adult? I know! I’ll just add really crude talk, random talk of genitalia, cussing, and a bunch of gross gore.” I don’t usually have a big problem. With those things individually or when it makes sense for the context, but it felt like it was out of place and forced because it was “adult”. lt seemed pointless and I didn’t like it.

Overall I’m curious about the dragon and where the story will go even though the ending bugged me. I will continue.

I enjoyed every bit of this read! If you're a fan of dragons, intense politics, and gripping action, this book is for you!

From the start, you're plunged into a world filled with complex power struggles, with Jai as our compelling protagonist—a prisoner in a castle, navigating treachery and revenge. When political alliances threaten to shatter, Jai's journey takes a thrilling turn as he bonds with a dragon egg, unlocking magical abilities and embarking on a breathtaking adventure for freedom.

The bond between Jai and his dragon, Winter, is beautifully portrayed, pulling readers through dark and dangerous moments. The world-building is expertly crafted, with vivid descriptions of magic and the brutal realities of survival. While some aspects like magical mechanics and character depth could be further explored, the overall narrative is a rollercoaster of betrayal, courage, and unexpected alliances.

For fans of fantasy that's both heart-pounding and immersive, this book delivers on all fronts. Dive into this insane world of political intrigue, magical creatures, and unyielding determination—you won't be able to put it down!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

The past few yeares have been my dragon era I guess between Fourth Wing, When the Moon Hatched and now Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu. The beginning was slow to me, a lot of world building and political intrigue which I dont mind but it did take me a bit to get into. I really enjoyed Winter she was adorably fierce. If you like epic fantasty dragon books, youll enjoy this.