Dragon Rider is the first book in Taran Matharu’s epic adult fantasy series, and it absolutely gripped me from the first chapter with its rich and intricate world-building and political intrigue. What an opening to a series! I loved learning about the different cultures through the characters and events – Matharu did a remarkable job, painting a rich picture of the political landscape without resorting to info-dumping. I also thoroughly enjoyed the variety of magical creatures: dragons, gryphons, chamrosh and khiro.

I’d recommend Dragon Rider to those who enjoyed Game of Thrones: the world is brutal, and there are a significant amount of political manoeuvring, a bloody coup, and some fairly gruelling scenes of torture, slavery and death. My one minor point of contention, which didn’t’ detract from the easy five star rating, is that the title feels a bit misleading. There is in fact not very much dragon riding happening, barring when the Dansk nobility arrive on their dragons: the main focus of the plot is on Jai escaping with a dragon egg and bonding with the newly hatched dragon.

Dragons are one of my great loves in fantasy, so how could I resist this book? It’s got a stunning cover, and the premise really intrigued me. It had a great start, too: a strong opening scene, a compelling character, an impression of a world… there were enough familiar tropes for me to settle straight in, but the author kept throwing in new things that made the setting unique. Jai is the personal servant of Leonid, the old emperor whose reign was one of war as he carved out an empire for himself, killing Jai’s father and enslaving many of his people in the process. Now that most lands are conquered, the old man has settled down and passed the empire on to his son, who is forging new alliances through marriage. Jai and his brothers, princes of the Steppe people, are hostages until each turn 20, when they will then take their place among their people and maintain their allegiance to the Sabine empire. That is, until Jai stumbles upon a plot to reignite war within the heart of the royal family. Up until this point, I was hooked. Unfortunately, Dragon Rider failed to keep me interested much beyond the 30% mark.

First of all, I began to realise that Jai was just a collection of tropes, and I never quite got the gage of his personality. He would be fierce and decisive one moment, and cower and hesitate the next according to what the plot needed. It also took him an excessive amount of time to escape once he had enacted his plan, and I grew bored by the time he actually had… I had a brief spark of excitement when Jai bonds with his dragon – and Winter is very cute – but things soon slowed down again. From being an interesting person with a few of the usual fantasy tropes, Jai turned in to a bit of a walking trope collection, and not a very clever one at that. He’s supposed to be well read and strategic, but would constantly ask dumb questions and make rash decisions. I understand that without this element some of the plot wouldn’t progress, and the reader wouldn’t have the information Jai is after, but the pieces didn’t quite fit together.

Another incongruity was the magic. People who bond with an animal can then do ‘magicking’ (why not just call it magic, I ask myself?), and so when Jai and Winter become soulbonded, Jai’s senses heighten and he can start to access a new core of power. This core needs to be replenished, and takes practice to learn to access, and it felt as if half the story was dedicated to this. If you like the intricacies of learning to use magic, especially with a strong focus on the inner self of the characters and a training montage set during a road-trip, then you’ll probably really like this book. Unfortunately, it did not land with me. From the blurb I was expecting a lot more action and politics, which the story does start strong with, but it just fizzled out around the middle. I must admit to skimming the pages from about the 60% mark, as I still wanted to see where Jai ended up, but didn’t want to slog through.

I saw Dragon Rider pitched as Eragon meets Game of Thrones but I think it would be more accurate to compare it to The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, as there is a similar meandering feel to it, as well as an intense magic-learning section. So, if that’s what you’re into, you might enjoy this. I would probably be interested in picking up the next book in the hopes of seeing a bit more politics and action, but I wouldn’t count it as highly anticipated.

I enjoyed this book but it wasn't a "I'll tell all my friends about this book and read it again because I can't stop thinking about it" kind of book for me.

The book hooked me in the first chapter so I was excited to read more and see where things went. However, then the pacing fell short and it took awhile for things to ramp up again.

I enjoyed the journey and I was emotionally attached to these characters. I thought that the evolution of the character was done really well.

I had not read that kind of fantasy book in a while and it was such a nice surprise.
Although I thought it took quite a while for the story itself to start and the rhythm was sometimes unbalanced, I have genuinely loved seeing those characters grow and fight for what they believe in. They’re struggled to embrace their responsibility, to take the measure of what is expected of them versus what they want to do, how to balance necessity and what is right made them well fleshed-out and interesting. Although Jai might have been a bit clueless on a certain plot twist that everyone else including the readers saw coming from the very start.
Jai’s relationship with winter was hands down the best thing about this book. The link between soulbound beings was incredible to read about and sometimes absolutely heartbreaking.
Although it ends on a small cliffhanger, it’s not one so terrible that I resented it. I can’t wait to read the next book nonetheless.

This book wasn't what I expected at all but it was a pleasant surprise.

I struggled to push through after 44% in. It was extremely slow pacing and even though there was a lot of worldbuilding (which I love) it dragged on quite a bit. HOWEVER saying that, it was a interesting storyline, showing political conflict throughout the world and the outcomes of wars won and the rebellions children being left behind. Jai has to look after the old emperor who killed his father while his brothers hunt with the future king so he's already got the short end of the stick...and then he goes through a traumatic event which causes him to lose EVERYONE he knows...and then he gets a dragon? It has a bunch of twists and turns which were predictable but enjoyable to read. The magic system in the book is also fascinating and well described by the author.

If you like drama, dragons and magic, you will like this!

2.5 stars rounded up. Dragon Rider has all the elements of a classical fantasy book, but the execution fell short. It did a lot of telling instead of showing, and the narrative did not have the emotional weight the characters were described to feel. The story itself was okay, but there was nothing groundbreaking so far (this was supposed to be the first book in a series). The visual and historical worldbuilding was lacking, but the magic system was described well (perhaps too detailed). The language was simple, and the pace was fast, making this book an effortless read.

eARC provided by NetGalley and HarperCollins UK.

An enjoyable read, not like Fourth Wing as people have said, This book had an amazing story and I really enjoyed it, It was unique and really enjoyable. Jai was such an interesting person to follow and I really loved how much of an adventure Jai took us on!

It's a DNF, I went as far as 50% but couldn't keep going.

The idea of this book is classic, nothing revolutionnary, but it could have delivered a nice story.
The thing is, it really starts after 40% ? The events described in the blurb happen so late in the book, it felt like it would never start.
What happened in these 40% ? Dick and piss jokes, women fetishizations, lewd talk about men and women genitalia, predictable plot, an complete invisible MC.
Are we suppose to feel something for Jai ? He's an empty shell. And he's really dumb. When I read an adult fantasy book, I don't expect to guess several plot-twists in the first chapters.
This book really felt like it was written by a man, it gave me the ick.
And a character is described as "exotic", seriously...

I absolutely love dragons, but they can't save everything.

Jai is a royal hostage in the Sabine Court. The son and heir of the empire, Titus, has been betrothed to Princess Erica of Dansk who brings dragons! The Dansk royalty are the only ones who can soulbound with them and gain power, but that is about to change. Amid a bloody coup, he finds the chance to escape. He does so with the Dansk handmaiden/warrior Frida and a stolen dragon egg... That hatches...

First of all I must mention I was really excited to read this for I am a fan of Taran Matharu and his Summoner series. And it has dragons! It presents the trimmings of epic fantasy but with language that feels companionable and also breathes adventure. The author makes the fantastical grounded, organic in the storytelling, but it still strikes you with awe. Setting of scenes are done with hearty detail and are attuned to the protagonist's view of the world. There is an undercurrent of power in the writing, subtle like a whisper in the beginning, then bursting with gut-wrenching glory, though you always sense it. The narrative is seasoned with a heartwarming humor. And a silent plea for righting injustices. Entertaining and utterly compelling.

There will be Fourth Wing comparisons because of the dragons and gryphons but that would be unfair to this story which is its own beast (pun intended).

Jai is not the typical underdog. He's not even in the race. At least not in the beginning. Be he is the 'twist of fate suddenly I'm going to be a hero' protagonist and I love it. Even with how his situation has been for years, and your heart goes out to him because of it. He cannot help his newfound enthusiasm, then determination, that come across the page effortlessly, as does the whole rainbow of his emotions.

I really enjoyed how what it is to be soulbound was depicted. We 'experience' it along with the character. We learn and train alongside him. Plus you can't help but adore Winter. And Frida's 'take no shit' attitude. I predicted the reveal about a certain character but it was still great that it was true and it happened in an unpredictable way.

Themes presented here are the importance of freedom and that honer can be found in even the most humble-seeming places. About love and loyalty, to family and origins. That you cannot escape destiny and it emphasizes that home is where the heart is.

This is the story of a slave becoming a prince and a hero, a boy bonding with a dragon, of destiny finding its way.

I'm really sorry to say but this was a DNF for me. As much as I love fantasy and I adore dragons, the pacing of the book was far too slow to pull me into the story and I felt no connection with any of the characters.
Despite the one page murder of a baby, I carried on in the hopes that the story would pull me in but it just didn't happen unfortunately.

The premise is very good, the politics well thought out and intricate. I think maybe the majick and soulbonding explanations should have been brought in much earlier to keep the readers interest (well my interest) because by the time I got to it, I just wasn't invested.

I'd just also like to note that there were a few modern slang phrases included in the dialogue that just didn't fit with the tone of the book and I found them quite odd. For example "tear you a new one".

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book, I wish that it had been more compatible for me. For the reasons above I will not be providing a written review on my social media as I don't like to highlight books that I haven't finished and risk putting other readers off.

Having enjoyed Taran Matharu’s previous books I was excited to read his first adult fantasy, especially as there was dragons, and it did not disappoint!

We follow Jai who has been a political prisoner for most of his life and when there’s a bloody coup he takes his chance to escape and accidentally bonds with a dragon.

Jai is smart and curious and just wants to live a peaceful life but this life isn’t destined for him when his brother’s are falsely accused of the coup and murdered. The only people who escape are Jai & Frida, a handmaiden from the rival tribe (who has her own secrets).

Jai has never felt he belonged because he isn’t brown enough for his brothers people or white enough for the people where he has to live so it was great seeing his journey to learning to accept himself as he is.

Frida & Jai journey together to get to his people and Frida teaches him how to use his new abilities now that he’s bonded with a dragon.
They have some great banter and I loved their bickering and learning to trust each other.

I loved seeing the bond and love between Jai and his dragon, Winter, grow and how they help and protect each other.

There isn’t a lot of violence but what there is gets pretty dark.

This book is for everyone who loves unlikely heroes, dragons, quests and characters learning who they truly are.

My main issue is with the narration which for the most part was great and had me hooked but the narrator pronounce the MC name incorrectly throughout the story and his brothers names too which irritated me.

After finishing Fourth Wing, I thought this would be a good book to continue my dragon era. Very disappointed unfortunately…

I’ve spent 4 months reading this book (that alone is a red flag). I forced myself to finish it because I really thought this had potential.

I enjoyed the overall idea of this book, but it was so loooong and, at many moments, just plain boring.
I didn’t enjoy Jai’s POV either… Don’t know if it’s the way it was written or the fact that the MC was male, but it just didn’t do anything for me.

I think this could be a good recommendation for (epic) fantasy lovers. But for a romantasy lover like me, this book just wasn’t it 🤷🏻‍♀️

The first third of the book was wild, but also a bit confusing. There were a lot of brutal events, but at the same time I couldn't see where the story was heading. It then got really interesting, until we got to 60% and my interest was really being tested again. There's a long part about mana cultivation, and that was way too long and detailed for my taste because it started getting repetitive. The chapters are short which is nice, but it also makes the book feel longer. The ending was faster paced, which made it easier to read. The writing is really good, and the worldbuilding is interesting, but sadly this felt like 50% interesting and 50% boring. I really wanted to love it, but I won't be reading more of the series.

If fourth wing and game of thrones had a son this would be it

What more do u need apart from dragons 🤩

If I'm being honest I liked Taran's Summoner series a lot more than Dragon Rider, but it was still a great read.

It took me longer than I'd like to admit to realise Frida's role but I loved seeing all of the trials and tribulations that Jai faced.

Rufus was my favourite character, I wish he'd gotten more page time and I'll be picking up book 2 to find out if he's alive or not as his fate was left hanging.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5- this book was so good. Dragons and utter destruction whilst creating such a beautiful world.

Dragons
Gryphons
TW - beatings, poisonings and lots of violence
Soul bonding
High fantasy
Lots of world building

This book had amazing world building and brutal political standings.

The story follows Jai who is a prisoner living in a castle having to serve the man who was responsible for the death of his father. When peace is under threat a marriage of convenience is the only way. But with such unrest Jai is desperate to escape and warn people of threats to come.

When escaping Jai finds a dragon egg which when soul bonded allows him to possess magical abilities. The story unfolds into a journey of survival and strength to defeat the deadly soldiers who also posses power from gryphons.

This book was beautifully written and the bond between Jai and his dragon winter was absolutely delightful. Despite some seriously dark moments their bond is so strong and beautiful.
There are some darker moments of this book where the MC is beaten and harmed in such ways causing him to be moments from death. Making for an emotional read 😭

The world building and politics was so well written and in great detail that it allowed me to really picture what was happening. It was such a powerful and emotional read portraying betrayal, poisoning, beatings, patricide and so much more.

Despite a slow start due to the mass of world building it was such an amazing read and I definitely think this is one for the dragon loving fantasy readers 🤍🤍

I’m so excited for the next book in the series already. I absolutely loved this book.

[ARC provided by NetGalley and HarperVoyager. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Dragon Rider.]

Rating: 5/5

Finally! An epic high fantasy that is near impossible to put down and that will keep you second guessing what will happen as you turn each page. It’s been a while since I’ve been gripped by this kind of fantasy, sometimes the worldbuilding feels tedious or there's a lack of depth to the people introduced, but that certainly wasn’t an issue with Dragon Rider. In amongst the complex characters and interesting magic system is a rich and vast world steeped in turmoil. This is the kind of book that provides that classic fantasy feel so if you love dragons, court politics and perilous adventure, you need to check this out.

Dragon Rider follows Jai, a young man who serves the cruel empire that killed his family and now rules his people. As the Sabine empire continues to grow and conquer, a betrothal between the emperor and Princess Erica of the Dansk Kingdom, an unconquerable realm, is set to take place so that their power can reach new highs. In addition to the betrothal, the Dansk Princess brings with her dragons, magical creatures that only her people can bond with, and soon also the Sabines. In classic fantasy fashion, the betrothal does not go as planned, and a bloody coup leads to Jai finally escaping the clutches of the empire along with the Princess’s handmaiden and a highly coveted dragon egg. Now on the run, these two fugitives must embark on a journey fraught with danger as they try to return to their homelands.

I don’t say this lightly, but I was completely blown away by this story. It’s the kind of book where I’d tell myself to take a break at the end of each chapter but the plot was so gripping that I couldn’t possibly step away from it. Jai is a fantastic aspiring hero to follow and definitely one you can get behind. His will to survive combined with his good intentions makes him the kind of character I love to see leading a fantasy story, and he only gets better as time goes on. Even when the odds are stacked against him he still strives to find the best outcome for the most people, and I can’t wait to see how that develops in future books as his power grows.

Another undeniable highlight of this story is the animal companions and, most importantly, Winter the dragon. If you loved this element of Fourth Wing and, like me, was hooked by the bonding between human and dragon, then you will love Dragon Rider as well. Although it’s not entirely the same, the bond shared between animal and human feels more fleshed out here as it closely links in with the magic system which is also incredibly well executed. I loved seeing what the bond meant and how it evolved over time, and also the limitations of what was possible.

I’ve never read anything from this author before but that will be changing right away. I’m completely entranced by this magical world of incredible beasts and ruthless leaders and will be counting down the days until the next instalment. High fantasy lovers need to add this to their TBRs asap, this isn’t a book you want to miss out on!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of the characters. This was one of those fantasy books where I genuinely feel like I’ve been on a grand adventure after reading this. Jai went through so much and saw so many places and challenges and different people. And all of the characters we interact with were so enjoyable even if it mean I enjoyed hating them. I cannot wait to see more of Jai, ‘Freya’, Winter and Rufus especially. I will definitely be recommending this to a lot of friends

The dragon rider by Taran Matharu
Release date 25th April 2024
Rating 4 stars
CAWPILE 7.58

Synopsis
Jai has spent his life forced to serve the cruel empire that killed his family and now rules his people.
To grow ever more powerful, the emperor’s young son is betrothed to Princess Erica of the Dansk Kingdom. An unconquerable realm, where ancient beasts roam. The princess brings with her a priceless gift: dragons. Only Dansk Royalty can bond with these magical beasts to draw on their power and strength. Until now.

When the betrothal goes wrong, a bloody coup leads to chaos at court. Finally, Jai has a chance to escape. He flees with a fierce Dansk warrior, Frida, but not before stealing a dragon egg.

To vanquish the empire, he must do the impossible: bond with a dragon. Only then he can seize his destiny, and seek his revenge …

Review

I really enjoyed this book it has a lot of the buzzwords that I look for in an adult fantasy, magic, dragons, empire. And I was enthralled by the world that I was whisked away in. And the ending I am now very eager to see where it is going to go.

This was the first book that I have read from this author and I am wondering why I hadn’t before. I know that this is the first adult fantasy from them but I feel as if I would have enjoyed the others.

I loved how Jai’s character moved in this story from the beginning he did not want to be front an centre most of the time hiding in the shadows or staying behind observing to the last line in the book which had my mouth dropping and clapping at his development.

All characters were fascinating to deep dive into and I cannot wait to learn more. I hope people give this book a chance and how pleasantly surprise like I was people will be.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this book. I am excited to share all my thoughts with other people.

Review will go up on instagram 21st April 2024

This review is for Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu which releases in the UK on the 25th April! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Harper Voyager/Harper Collins UK for giving me an eArc copy for this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’d heard so many good things about this book, plus so many booktokers showing off their arcs, that I couldn’t resist requesting this from Netgalley as soon as I saw it. An epic fantasy with dragons? You know that’s my thing.

And it was great! I really did enjoy the story, especially toward the end when everything was finally coming together. It did very much feel like it was building up for the rest of the series though. It was also not anything I haven’t already seen before, and the first 25-30% was very slow paced making it very hard to get through at times. However, the politics and magic system were amazing and that’s what kept me coming back for more.

The magic system was super unique, where the only people with magic were those who ‘soul bonded’ with a variety of different creatures. The fact that you have to work to improve your own magical ability as well once you have soul bonded and could eventually ‘ascend’ to become more powerful. I can’t wait to see what comes from this in the rest of the series, and if we’ll meet anyone super powerful who has risen above the power levels expected.

I loved the characters in this book, especially the little dragon Winter. Her budding relationship with Jai, the main character, was super sweet and it was great to see his love for her become deeper once they began getting to know each other better. I also loved how the author shows both the characters flaws as well their strengths throughout the story, even if this does make you want to shake them at a times.

I cannot wait to see what the author does with the rest of the story and will most likely be buying a physical copy when this comes out as well. Would highly recommend to any high/epic fantasy readers out there, especially if you love dragons!