There’s something great about this title. No dissembling, no “A something of something and something” styling. Just “Dragon Rider.” You know pretty much everything you need to know right from the start: there will be dragons, and there will be people riding them! I think this will be good enough for many fantasy fans, and it certainly was for me!

There was a lot to like about this book, right from the start. It’s the kind of story that plops you down right in the middle of things and leaves it to the reader to wade through the various peoples and places that are presented on the page. Also, right from the get go, it was clear that this was going to be one of those political maneuvering stories where everyone has their own agenda and the intrepid heroes fall into the dangerous plans of others. So it is with our main character who quickly finds himself jumping out of the frying pan and straight into the fire. Of course, a lucky run in with a dragon egg changes his fate and leads to the titular concept of this book.

For all of the fact that some of the book’s core concepts were expected, I was also surprised by a large chunk of the middle of the story. There, the book suddenly turns into a survival story, with Jai and Frida (a young woman he teams up with) having to persist in the face of the elements, starvation, and danger, all while caring for a baby dragon. I really loved this aspect of the story, but I will say that it’s the kind of thing that does impact the overall pacing of the story. If readers are buckled in for a slower ride, one in which you’re immersed in the day-to-day struggles and experiences of these characters, than I think the book delivers! But it is a shift from the expectation that is presented at the start, where the focus is more on court politics.

The story also takes its time really diving into Jai’s experiences learning to manage his magic and to bond with the baby dragon. Again, much of this leads to a major slow down in the story, so it will depend on readers’ interests levels how well this part of the story succeeds. I was also surprised by just how violent this book was at times. It’s definitely not for the weak of heart with some fairly graphic scenes of violence, much of which is committed against Jai himself.

Overall, I thought this was a successful fantasy story. It’s the kind of high fantasy story that will likely appeal to readers looking for a more “classic” dragon rider story than “Fourth Wing.” It is dense and can be slow at times, so readers should keep that in mind when picking it up.

Rating 8: A well-rounded fantasy stories that highlights yet again why dragons are such beloved magical creatures!

(Link will go live on The Library Ladies on April 27)

Loved this book and can't wait for the next one!! The characters and magic were fabulous, the world building easy to follow. I love that it's not an easy journey and not everything turns out perfect.

I can’t really give this a fair review, as I didn’t finish or get very far.

I admit I do not do well with books written from a male perspective. I’d like to try and pick this back up and try again, thankfully I also have a physical ARC, but right now there are just too many other books to read!

The main character, Jai, intrigues me and I like his voice and the authors writing style. I would have liked to jump right into action/something more exciting, but I also appreciate the author’s world building.

I've been looking for books with Dragons ever since Fourth Wing and I was so glad I found this book!! It had everything that a love in a fantasy, strong world building, slow burn, betrayal and magic!!

I loved seeing the relationship between Jai and Winter. The whole magic system is a lot, but I found myself enjoying digging in.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. This book is an epic fantasy with political intrigue, and of course dragons. This book was such a fun read. If you enjoy riveting fantasy novels that draw you in, then you will enjoy this book.

**I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley and publisher Avon and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review**

**NO SPOILERS** Dragon Rider is an epic fantasy novel that follows our main character, Jai. Jai became a prisoner of war at a young age, along with his brothers, and was but in service to the king who defeated his father and tribe. A series of events allows Jai to escape his service to the Sabines and begin a harrowing journey to his homeland. This is the first book in what is sure to be an amazing series.

This book is written in the third person and follows main character Jai on his quest. Dragon Rider is a relatively fast paced book, especially at the beginning and towards the end with somewhat of a lull in the middle. The writing is straight forward and easy to follow making this a decently fast read.

Dragon Rider has gruesome moments and has some dark writing and concepts in it. I really enjoyed this book even though there were moments I wanted to grab Jai by the shoulders and shake him due to his questionable decision making. He is required to grow as a character from the beginning to the ending but there are still moments when he makes childish choices. There is a time in the middle of the book that significant time is spent discussing soulbreathing and the core that became a bit tedious but still worth the read. Our female main character, Frida is also an absolute badass, which is a good thing because I don’t think Jai would survive without her. I also love the creatures and the connections they share with their people, however there are less dragons than the title might lead you to believe.

Overall, excellent start to a new fantasy series. The likeable characters are easy to love, and the rest are easy to hate. For this reason, I can’t wait for the next book. I must know if Jai and his crew conquer the raging lunatics…because it will be a sad day if they do not. I would highly recommend it to anyone that likes epic fantasy books with coming of age, traveling quests, and nations at war themes. If you are here only for the dragons you might be a little disappointed as there are only a handful, but don’t let that deter you, this is worth the read!

Jai is a royal hostage, taken from his home on the Steppes and forced to act as a slave for the dowager emperor. His boring life spent tending to the old man is disrupted when the heir of the emperor is betrothed to a princess of the Dansk Kingdom, and she arrives at the imperial court with her family’s dragons. Only Dansk know the secret of binding dragon and humans together, but it’s a secret some in the empire is desperate to acquire… at any cost.

I picked this up expecting a fairly standard fantasy with a young orphan as the main character, and I was blown away. There’s political intrigue, adventure, dragons, an interesting magic system, and more. I was particularly struck with the elegance of the world-building and character motivations. For example, Jai is the third son and the son of a concubine– of lower status than his brothers, who are also royal hostages, to the empire. Thus, he’s chosen to tend to the former emperor because, while he may learn a lot of history and politics through osmosis, he’s less likely to ever rule. His brothers, by contrast, are playthings of the imperial heir.

While this installment is focused on this set-up and a lengthy roadtrip component, I’m very much looking forward to future volumes.

I loved this book! I am a sucker for all things dragon and animal bonding. I think my favorite thing about this book was the pacing. It constantly had me hooked and interested. Jai quickly became a favorite character and I absolutely did not want to see him suffer. The magic system was fantastic with the use of Mana. I loved how it went from a coming of age story to an unlikely group on an adventure. I also loved that both Winter and Jai didn't automatically have all of this crazy power that they were both experts in. They had a slow continual progress that is believable. Even at the end of the book they are still on the path of training and getting stronger. The ending left me wanting more and I can't wait for the next installment. My only gripe is wish there was more dragon riding. Other than that I loved every second of the book.

Dragon Rider has a nice world building (loosely inspired by ancient Rome), great characters and of course DRAGONS. And as such the book won’t be able to avoid being compared to Forth Wing in the moment. Yes there is bonding to Dragons and Gryphons and Magic and wars, no there is no school and no smut. Also yes the writing style is way better. I liked it more than FW up until the last quarter of the book which didn’t do much for the story and was way too long
(respectively you know what will happen and are waiting for over 100 pages that it will happen). Nonetheless the rest was so good it still deserves 4*. If you are into good written fantasy with dragons, this is your book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the earc!

Taran Matharu's 'Dragon Rider' is definitely worth reading. I look forward to seeing more of this new series. I will definitely be recommending it the moment it hits our shelves. 5/5 Stars!

"Dragon Rider" by Taran Matharu takes readers on an exciting journey through a world filled with political intrigue, magic, and dragons. While the intricate world-building and compelling magic system are highlights, some may find the pacing uneven. Overall, it's a promising start to an =fantasy series that will appeal to fans of the genre.

Let me start by saying I loved the world that Taran Matharu built in this book. The story is full of interesting, yet brutal, political dynamics and a compelling magic system. This book is worthy of a read and sets the stage for a very interesting series that I plan to continue.

My main issue with the book comes down to the pacing. I thought it started off really well, with very typical high fantasy world-building. However, as the story progressed I felt we spent too much time learning about how Jai, our MMC, develops his power. A lot of time is spent in his head while he is essentially meditating, and I feel like some of that time should have gone to other parts of the story. Then the plot picks up during the last 1/4 of the book, but I almost felt it was a bit rushed at the end. I also felt the book read a bit more YA than adult, but I feel like as the series progresses, and Jai further develops as a character, the tone of the series might shift.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC to review!

This rating is generous…. I was very on the fence with even finishing this. I almost dnf’d around 30ish %! Once I got about to the half way point though things started to pick up some.
The world building and character development is very well done. There is a ton of politics in this book which could be why I struggled.
That being said this is a very well rounded fantasy. The magic system in this was well thought out and very interesting.
There’s a little something for everyone in this.
Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!!!

I enjoyed this fantasy novel quite a bit. I felt like the author did a good job with the world building without bogging the reader down with too much information at one time. I'll look for another book from Taran Matharu in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon/harper voyager.
This was a very interesting book. The author did a great job of really taking the time to build the world and politics up around the reader. They also did a great job with explaining things like what it means to be soulbound.
This book was very long and did not hook me. I kept reading because I wanted to find out if the two main characters survive. We only find out what might happen to Jai, but not Frida.
I also stayed for Winter. She’s my favorite.

DNF @ 70%
After seeing that this book had dragons, I really wanted to like this one. Unfortunately it just did not do it for me. I understand that with any fantasy book, especially the first in a series, there is going to be a great deal of world building. However, I just could never get fully immersed into the story. It took a long time for the plot to move forward, and once it did, it slowed down all over again. I found myself bored and skimming through some portions. The writing was not bad at all, it just felt like nothing was happening in the story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC for my honest review

I think my review needs to come with a few disclaimers to help any fellow readers decide if this is right for them. I will fully admit I am new to the fantasy genre. After reading a few reviews about this book falling into the high fantasy category, I am not sure I have enough experience to compare/understand what classifies as a great fantasy to most readers. That all said, I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced read. I am glad I got to spend time in this world.

For me this read was like a roller coaster. There were some really good and actioned packed moments that sucked me in and had me fully engaged - thinking oh yes this is where this story picks up. I super enjoyed those moments. The world building and politics were interesting. However, it's quickly followed by some long extended sections of story that nothing really is happening and left me feeling meh and struggling to get through. I liked learning about the mana and how it works but also felt those descriptions got to be too much and started to bore me a bit. I think I was hoping for more or a different way to show the bonding between human and dragon than just the MC building up his mana skills - like make them communicate (this goes for all the soulbound in this book).

I am uncertain if I would return to this world for future releases. I wouldn't hate if I did but I also would be waiting like a child for Christmas morning for it either. I do want to know where the story goes and if Jai ever actually gets to hop on a dragon and go for a spin.

This book takes readers on an enthralling journey through a meticulously crafted world brimming with survival challenges. Along with the irresistible baby dragon Winter, the main characters steal the spotlight. There are intricate political landscapes and betrayals, but the narrative doesn't lack in intensity. Brace yourself; this isn't a tale for the faint-hearted, delving into themes of gore, torture, and the brutal realities of war.

Our time is predominantly spent with four compelling characters: Jai, Frida, Rufus, and Winter, each with their charm. They harbor secrets, hindering our connection with them. This, however, seems intentional, setting the stage for a gradual unveiling across the series.

Dragon Rider is captivating with its rich world-building, genius magic system, and exploration of royal dominance. Quiet moments allow for character and world development, with soul-bonds and dragon connections adding depth. Taran Matharu's debut into adult fantasy shows promise, blending imaginative storytelling with intricate characters and compelling magic. This is a must-read for aficionados of epic fantasy and dragon tales, promising an enchanting journey ahead.

This epic fantasy combines magic, adventure, and mythical creatures. Jai, our seemingly unlikely hero, shines through perseverance, adding depth to the narrative. Kudos to the author for pacing the romance just right—slow burns reign supreme, adding a layer of authenticity to the tale. I truly loved this story and cannot wait for the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the eArc of this book in exchange for my honest review! All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars.

For a book I largely requested simply because it had a dragon on the cover, it ended up being quite entertaining.

Dragon Rider isn't an innovative story, The story unfolded as I expected. Jai is the only one didn't see those twists coming. The relationships between the people and their magical creatures is pretty standard for the genre. There are pacing issues with the book as well. I wish the third act was more tightly written.

However, the book does include a decent amount of world-building. I was able to understand how the magic works. The main cast of characters are sympathetic and likeable. Additionally, the writing straddles the YA and Adult line making this story appropriate for a large age range. It isn't completely juvenile, but Matharu doesn't go overboard with the language or violence.

I'm interested in reading the sequel.

This book was a pleasant surprise. It started out slow, and I almost didn’t want to finish it. I held on though and it was really good. I loved how short the chapters were, it made the book read so much faster. The story itself was easy to consume and the world building was great. My only complaint was that Jai, the main character, learned everything faster and better than anyone had ever done before. Making him almost a perfect character, but his development in other aspects of his character made up for it.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC to review.