4⭐️ This is the first book in a high fantasy series which lays a solid foundation for the story to come in such an engaging way.

Jai is the third son of the King of the Steppefolk, who has been a political hostage for the past ten years, forced to serve the Sabines after they defeated his people. The story begins as the King of the Dansk arrives with his dragons, to present his daughter to be married to the Sabine Prince in exchange for a treaty. It all goes wrong when the Sabines decide to take it all instead.

The first third of the book focuses on the Sabine royal family, who has successfully taken control of all other kingdoms but one. We are introduced to this ruling family, the politics and their violent history while we find out where Jai fits in. Here we learn that Jai is quietly strong, academically educated by his master to better serve him yet kept isolated without any real understanding of the world outside the walls of his master’s quarters.

The remainder of the book focuses on the magic system and world building as Jai and the Dansk handmaiden, Frida, take the long journey to safety. We come to understand that Magic is acquired through the soulbond with an animal and developed with training and practice as we witness Jai’s initial Soulbond with the dragon baby he found while escaping the palace, and learn all that is possible within this magic system as he learns it himself.

We spend the majority of our time with four characters, Jai, Frida, Rufus and Winter who are all endearing in their own way. It is obvious that they are all holding back, hiding much of themselves from each other which makes it hard for us to really connect with each one enough to be deeply invested. Although, this seems to be a product of a first book in a well planned high fantasy series allowing us to take a slow but vividly descriptive journey together.

I really enjoyed Dragon Rider, with its detailed and well considered world building, descriptive and accessible magic system and exploration of the royal family’s domination. Being a high fantasy, and a first book in a series there were many quieter times in the story, opportunities to get to know the characters, the world, the magic. I especially loved the exploration of the soulbond with many different creatures and the deeper exploration of dragon connections. I look forward to continuing this series.

I am really sorry for the author as the Kindle version I received was badly, very badly formatted.

Because of that, and Harper using the drop down from the Capital to start a chapter is so annoying, I found my eyes just refused to read this. I had to give up last night at 10%.

Worse, allowing for the disgruntlement with the "physical" issue of the reading, the plot just failed to grab me.

I took a photo of the formatting if you want it? Seems I can't add it here.

Two stars as it might get going but it should have got up to speed well before 10%.

I am so grateful I received this as a ARC but sadly I got 40% through this book and I decided to DNF. Not for the writing style or anything bad about the book but I just felt personally I couldn’t connect to the MC or any of the characters and feel I am not invested into the book! I feel like at 40% I should be invested into the plot but I didn’t feel the excitement of what was happening. The first 30% of the book was very political and I struggled to understand who was who!

Dragon Rider is a true epic in the veins of old fantasy - like an accessible Lord of the Rings with even more magic and adventure!
It has everything you need from a true fantasy saga: mythical beasts, evil empires
a well-built magic system and loveable characters.
I was especially impressed by Jai, our portagonist who appears to be an underdog, yet through his perseverance becomes a true hero.

One issue I had was the writing: I prefer my fantasy more on the lyrical/purple side, and the writing here was just a bit too plain for me. But then again, that's my personal preference and I would wager I'm in the minority with this.

The world-building to me was complete and a lot of emphasis is placed on the magic system - not gonna lie, I felt this part slightly overdone, especially towards the end.

Deapite that, I thoroughly enjoyed Jai's interactions with Winter and I can't wait to see where the pair will end up in the next book.

I have a weak spot for MMCs as well as stories featuring political intrigue - it has been quite some time Ive read a book that featured actual battles, scheming nobles and lower ranked people trying to get by, all feeding into to same world and opposing our hero. An especial thanks to the author for not forcing a romance into this book, I can see traces of it but Im happy with the pace it is developing. Slow burns always outrank anything else for me.

Read if you like: dragons, political intrigue, cloak and dagger, lots of magic and realistic characters.

Absolutely couldn’t put this down!

It follows jai who becomes a dragon rider there is a ton of world building and political aspects to this book but it hooks you in and the story and writing are great

Can’t wait for book 2

Thank you #netgalley and #harpercollins

Who doesn't love a dragon rider story? This was a surreal experience and Matharu is definitely on the radar for future releases.

⤷‧₊˚1⭑
„He was a prisoner within the shell of his own body. An observer of his own demise.“

it‘s finally over gosh i can‘t describe how happy i am. i wanted to love it so bad that i forced myself to finish it.

The idea behind it was amazing, but unfortunately the final result was bad. The writing was great but the book was incredibly boring.

Now I don't like to typically compare books by different authors, since every story is unique in it's own way. But being an Eragon fan since my childhood and having just reread the whole series last month, I couldn't help but see a lot of parallels....Young, innocent boy unexpectedly becomes a dragon rider, running from an evil ruler and on the road with his dragon and a mentor (or two) while he trains to learn and use his powers.

I still enjoyed the story, Winter without doubt and without surprise, was my absolute favorite character. I'm curious to see how Jai's story develops and will be reading the sequel. I felt like this book laid the groundwork for all the conflicts that happened in the past between the peoples, and we'll see more challenges in store for Jai in the next book(s).

Special thanks to Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Dragon Rider is the first book in a new series, that follows the story of Jai, a servant in the hands of those his father battled and lost to.

Throughout the story we see Jai battle with his feelings around his situation, and the many politics that are at play in his world.

I’ve see a lot of people compare this to Fourth Wing, but aside from there being dragons and land wars, there’s little similarities. I’d say this had more of a Game of Thrones vibe to me. There was a lot of fighting, death and gore and the romance was pretty nonexistent.

But, if you’re looking for a fantasy filled with magic, intrigue and more twist and turns that you can shake a dragon tail at, this one’s for you.

This book delivers an epic journey of survival, within a world which has been expertly and vividly created. I loved the main characters, and the baby dragon, Winter, is adorable. There are lots of complex politics and political betrayal in the story, although no romance just yet. This is also not a story for the faint of heart - It’s definitely an adult fantasy - there’s a lot of gore, torture and general war type behaviour, including patricide. Frustratingly, the story does finish on a cliffhanger, although it is tolerable - I am looking forward to the next book in the series; although this book is not out until April 23, 2024, so it may be a long wait! Thanks to NetGallery and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, HarperVoyager for allowing me to get a copy of the book - highly recommended.

"Dragon Rider" by Tara Matharu takes readers on an epic journey into a world full of intrigue, power struggles, and magical creatures. The story begins with Jai, a royal hostage and servant who has witnessed the injustice and tyranny of the empire that wiped out his family. When a political alliance is forged between the empire and the Dansk Kingdom through the engagement of the young prince to Princess Erica, Jai's fate changes forever.

The princess brings not only a political connection but also an extraordinary gift: dragons. In this world, only members of the Dansk royal family can form a magical bond with these powerful beings. However, when the engagement goes awry, and a bloody coup throws the court into chaos, Jai seizes the opportunity to escape. On the run, he comes into possession of a dragon egg, marking the beginning of a bond that will alter his destiny and that of the world.

Tara Matharu captivates readers with a gripping plot and vivid characters. Jai is an impressive protagonist whose journey from captivity to freedom, from oppression to power, keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The connection between Jai and the dragon adds a magical element that sparks the imagination.

The author skillfully weaves political intrigue and personal destinies, unfolding a world marked by conflicts and a constant struggle for power. The tension is expertly built, and the narrative unfolds at a breathtaking pace.

"Dragon Rider" is not just an adventure in a fantastical world but also a story about freedom, power, and the courage to rebel against oppression. Tara Matharu offers readers a thrilling journey full of action, magic, and emotions that will captivate both fans of the genre and new readers alike.

Such a great book. It made me think of the Eragon books I read when I was a kid. But I find Jai to be a much more interesting character and I love Winter. I felt attached to the characters. Which really made me question myself when I found my self liking a chacter that is the worst.... well one of the worst people in the book.

The romance in this book felt a lot more realistic to me then in most books do. I have read so many where it was instant love dispite knowing nothing about each other and it all felt so fake to me. This was slowed down and felt more real to me.

I loved how the bonding between human and creatures worked here and that is wasn't just for dragons. But depending on what you bond to is what benefits you would gain and if you would have a leg up on other soul bonded people. It was interesting to see the power dynamics being fleshed out and it didn't feel like information was just being thrown at me.

The only bad thing I have to say is now I just can't wait for the second book to come out which will be a wait

I am a judge fantasy book reader, after falling in love with the dragons in fourth wing and iron flame I was a little apprehensive about reading this book. Dragon rider did not disappoint in any way. I was hooked.

Dragon Rider is the first in a new fantasy series, filled with magic, warriors and dragons! The way the world is built up draws you in and I can’t wait to learn and immerse myself in it again. I adored the soul bound and found it to be an incredible way to explore the connections between the characters and their creatures.

What an absolutely amazing ride this was!

I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling that a lot of new releases in the fantasy genre have been lacking in terms of the writing quality - Dragon Rider was a much needed reminder for me of why I adore this genre.

Dragon Rider was an EPIC adventure of survival, friendships, learning to love unconditionally, betrayal and self discovery. This world has some of the most complex and believable politics I’ve seen in the fantasy genre in a long time with a beautifully complex history that we are getting to see glimmers of (I love it when a world has been this well developed and it’s clear there are just a myriad of untold stories in this world already).

We enter this world when the Sabine Empire has dominated the majority of the continent and is set to bring the last defiant country into the empire through marriage rather than the savage and brutal war and subjugation of people it has previously used to conquer the continent.

In steps Jai, our MC, and a really enjoyable MC at that. He’s not perfect, he’s not all knowing or all powerful, but neither is he completely stupid or useless - he’s believable and I absolutely bought into him as our MC. Jai is the third son of the late leader of the Steppefolk who died trying to fight the empire. Which basically means Jai was important enough to be living in the palace but not so important that he has any power or standing at all really. Jai’s primary role is that of carer for the previous emperor - the man who killed his own father. Matharu showed us the many layers of their complex dynamic beautifully and this was something I felt was really well done throughout - relationships were allowed to be complex and flawed.

I’ve seen a couple of people mention that the opening chunk is a little slow - and it is. BUT, I didn’t mind that in the slightest, and I actually think the pacing was a really important element here. This is a detailed and well built world and there needed to be a slower opening to allow us to find our feet in this world. I also feel like the pacing perfectly reflected how Jai’s world turned upside down so suddenly and his quiet, albeit deeply unhappy, life overnight became action filled as he toed the line of survival and ruin.

I also loved that Matharu didn’t skip over the magic system or the complexities of this world - he did a great job teaching us about the magic system as Jai learnt it and I thought the references to the past were just expertly interwoven here.

I can’t believe I have to wait for the next installment now as I just need to know more! If you’re up for an epic high fantasy read with a fascinating world and a solid plot PLEASE give this a read as I am desperate for someone I can talk to about this one!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book - It was an absolute delight to read!

This book is everything I wanted from a book about Dragon Riders and filled me with the same joy as reading Eragon when I was a kid.

Dragon Rider is the first in a new fantasy series, filled with magic, warriors and dragons! This really was the perfect start to a new series and I can't wait to dive further into this world. The world building is immersive and the magic system is unique. I adored the soul bound and found it to be an incredible way to explore the connections between the characters and their creatures.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC to review!

3 stars!?

Right, let me just point out, although this book didn't do it for me because I just couldn't get lost in the story or very invested, it's well written! The story itself has great details, world building, you know what I mean but I just couldn't get into it like I was hoping for. I felt the pace for my own preference in reading a story was slow so I think that's why I didn't click well with it and it's taken me a while to read it. I began to skim through some pages but I blame this on my lack of being able to just get deep within the story.

BUT! I highly recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy with politics, world building, dragons, well written and edited then give this a go!

Dragon Rider is a good high fantasy with decent world building and characters. Something just didn't click for me though and I found it hard to get through. I'm sure others will love it, but I'm not sure I'll be picking up the rest of the series!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest

I've not read Taran Matharu before so I was very curious about this book. Overall, I think it's a solid adult fantasy book and I'm curious to see where it goes next.

The are just loads of dragon rider fantasies around, so this is very unoriginal. That said, it is perfectly good, standard fare and I am sure many people will enjoy it. I know there are countless fans of this type of book around, and this is a popular author, but (apart from a very attractive five cover) there is little to make this one stand out from the crowd.

Fans of Iron Flame and Dragonfall will love this book! Jai, a prince in captivity to the conquering Sabine empire, forced to serve an ageing Emperor, watches while his family and heritage are systematically destroyed. In the throes of a palace coup that sees the evil Prince Titus take power, Jai escapes and, through a series of hardships and adventures, pain and imprisonment, finds new allies and new power including a soulbond with a baby dragon called Winter. This is the start of a new series and I ate up every word of it, I cannot wait to read the next part of the story!