Dragon King’s Bane by A.J. Jontz
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars)

In Dragon King’s Bane, A.J. Jontz delivers a compelling coming-of-age fantasy filled with magic, mystery, and a surprisingly emotional depth. Set in a world where magic equals power, we follow Aidan, a sheep herder whose quiet life is upended when his older brother—the only family he has—is taken from him. What begins as a personal quest quickly escalates into something far greater as Aidan enrolls in Mountainfall Academy to learn the ways of magic and adventuring.

From the first chapter, the stakes feel real. Aidan is not your typical fantasy prodigy—he’s an underdog with very little knowledge of magic and a target on his back. This makes his journey through the academy all the more gripping, especially as he’s forced to navigate rivalries, social isolation, and the burden of a unique magical gift he doesn’t fully understand.

One of the standout elements of the novel is the worldbuilding. Jontz crafts a vivid magical society with its own hierarchies, rules, and secrets. The school setting, while familiar in the genre, feels fresh due to the author’s attention to detail and well-paced exposition. But what truly kept the pages turning was the layered mystery surrounding Aidan’s heritage. Hints are dropped masterfully throughout the story, leading to a resolution that, while somewhat predictable, is satisfying and beautifully executed. Even if you start to suspect the truth, Jontz makes the journey rewarding with rich character development and emotional moments.

While the novel earns high marks for its writing and immersive world, a few areas—such as some side characters and pacing in the middle—could have benefited from further development. Nonetheless, Dragon King’s Bane stands as a strong start to what promises to be an engaging series.

A.J. Jontz’s Dragon King’s Bane is a rewarding fantasy adventure, especially for readers who enjoy underdog protagonists, magical academies, and family-driven stakes. With vivid worldbuilding and a well-handled central mystery, this is a debut that makes a mark—and leaves you eager for the next installment.

Thank you Netgalley, AJ Jontz, and BooksGoSocial for the eARC of this book! Dragon King's Bane is a solid YA fantasy that took me by surprise! The story follows Aidan who lives out in the countryside with his older brother as they struggle to earn money to pay their debt to the Duke back. Both Aidan and Damian have elemental magic, however, Damian has forbidden Aidan from using his magic (though he is very secretive as to why they need to hide their abilities). Unfortunately, when the Duke comes and takes Damian away, Aidan has no choice but to enroll in a magical academy with hopes of eventually earning enough money after he graduates to pay back the debt to the Duke and get his brother back. There was good worldbuilding, and I love that most MCs were around 15-17 and acted their age (and didn't come across as immature at all!). I adore a magical academy setting, and while this concept has been done many a time before, I feel this story was very well executed and still felt like a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed the concept of mages, rangers, and adventurers. The found family elements between the first years was very enjoyable as well and it was nice to see Aidan (who grew up relying on himself and his brother) to open himself up to trusting and relying on others as well. The Multi POV chapters really added to the story and allowed me to appreciate and connect with the characters on a deeper level (I really like Rika as a character!). If you like magical academies, elemental magic, secret bloodlines, found family, Multi POV... I suggest adding this to your TBR! Also I suspect dragons may play a big role in the next book and I'm ready for it.

"Dragon King's Bane" by AJ Jontz: I have read so many secondary world fantasy books about a boy with an Inconvenient Destiny going to a magic academy, and this is definitely a good specimen of the breed. Sequels planned, and I'll be wanting to read them. #YAFantasy #NetGalley #eARC

I usually read ebooks at night just to put me to sleep. This one kept me up for 2 days because I could not put it down. It is action packed and brilliant. I cannot wait to read more of Jontz