4.5 for me!
Great overall story, it was very slow in the beginning, and I usually love the world building side but it was slow even for me
But once the action starts it really gets good, a little more gore than I typically like - more game of thrones than fourth wing but great overall, looking forward to continuing the story!

DNF @ 70%

Good Lord this was an absolute slog to get through. The only redeeming thing about it was the young dragon who bonds with the MC.

The beginning felt so slow and there was so much going on politically that I could barely keep up, yet it managed to bore me to tears, and honestly being bored just continued throughout the rest of the book. The writing wasn’t particularly bad, but it just felt like absolutely nothing was happening and like I was just reading the same thing over and over but with an ever so slightly different setting and I just felt like nothing was moving along.

I think I made a good shot of it, getting to 70% but the more I read the more I was just forcing it, so I decided to bite the bullet and just DNF.

Thanks NetGalley for the free copy!

The main premise of the story is about a boy named Jai who is a royal hostage come servant , and in the first third of the book that’s all he really is. We get a lot of background and world building which made the pace of the book seem pretty slow, but when we get to the betrothal gone wrong the pace really picks up and the story become so much more interesting and fast paced it more than makes up for the slow start! It keeps a good pace the rest of the book and the ending is one that makes you wish the next book was out already!

The magic system of the soulbound and mana is so interesting I enjoyed reading about all the intricacies of it and how it plays into the world we are thrown into in all its messy bloody glory! The relationship between characters are amazing and the love and respect we see is so well written that you can’t help but love them too.

Overall the book was once you got into it a really enjoyable book with a great cast of characters, good political plot lines and an amazing magic system to boot!

What a great start to the series! The world building was well done and I found the magic system intriguing. I loved the dynamic between Jai/Frida/Rufus and Winter is easily my favourite character. Bring on book two!

*Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, HarperVoyager for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review*

This was an EPIC book, with all four letters capital. If you start reading it and decide to DNF it due to the slow start I implore you to keep reading because this book it's amazing when you're past the boring yet highly necessary for the world building start.
Filled with politics and dragons you will not want to put it down.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc!
A fresh world of epic fantasy with awesome political intruige that keeps you hooked until the very end!

Jai has spent his life forced to serve the cruel empire that killed his family and now rules his people. With a chance to grow even more powerful, the emperor’s son is betrothed to the princess of a rivalling realm. An unconquerable realm, where ancient beasts roam. The princess brings with her a priceless gift: dragons. Only the royalty of her people can bond with these magical beasts to draw on their strength and power.

That is, until now. When the betrothal goes wrong, a bloody coup leaves the court in chaos. Finally, Jai seizes a chance to escape, fleeing with a dank warrior, but not before stealing a dragon egg. To vanquish the empire who murdered his people, he must do the impossible and bond with a dragon. For only her can follow his destiny and seek his revenge.

An epic fantasy adventure with a richly developed world of dragons, the fall and rise of empires and the power of a single flame igniting a rebellion. Bloody, glorious and compelling, this novel is a riveting epic that will be perfect for fans of royal politics, action and dragons.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘛𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘶

This inaugural book in the high fantasy series brilliantly lays the groundwork for an engaging saga. Jai, the third son of the Steppefolk's king, captivates as a political hostage serving the Sabines. The narrative takes a thrilling turn when a diplomatic mission goes awry, leading Jai to discover his latent strength and embark on a journey with the Dansk handmaiden, Frida.

The initial focus on the Sabine royal family's politics and violent history sets the stage, revealing Jai's quiet strength and academic isolation. The later part delves into a fascinating magic system and world-building as Jai, Frida, and their companions undertake a perilous journey to safety. The soulbond magic system, explored through Jai's connection with a dragon, adds depth and intrigue.

While the characters initially hold back, a characteristic of the first book in a high fantasy series, their complexities contribute to a vivid and descriptive journey. Dragon Rider captivates with its detailed world-building, accessible magic system, and exploration of royal dominance. The quieter moments in the story provide opportunities to connect with the characters and immerse oneself in the fantastical realm. I thoroughly enjoyed this installment and eagerly anticipate the continuation of this series. A solid five stars for its rich storytelling and promising foundation for what's to come.

If you are looking for an innovative, fresh take on fantasy, and want to be surprised by the twists and turns, then Dragon Rider may not be your book. If anything about the plot shocked you, you have probably never encountered fantasy before. Royals in disguise, third sons becoming heirs, cruel men being cruel to get to the top, those thought to be weak finding strength - we get it all, and the bonding of dragons (and other beasts) is not exactly a shocking invention.

Still, if you are looking for a book to be angry about, to hate and to destroy, Dragon Rider may not be your book either. The plot is perhaps well trodden, but the characters are engaging and this iteration of the beast/human bond feels empathetic and believable. Yes, we have a lot of technical mana core talk, which I was not keen on, but there is a clear system behind the magic - and while energy-centric, slightly buddist fantasy has come to the fore in recent years, this is still a serviceable, thoughtful version. You can hate it, I suppose, if you're really over classic fantasy tropes - but then maybe don't read books called Dragon Rider.

I found it a pleasant read that lived on its characters and the knowledge that I might know what was coming, but not how exactly it was going to happen. You're not missing anything exciting if you don't give it a try, but this was... nice!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC!
This world and the politics were expertly crafted, and the violent bloodshed is a hallmark of many of my favorite books. While the beginning is slow, it is very much needed to set up the world that Jai is living in and provide context to what is to come. If you stick with it you will be rewarded! Betrayal, subjugation, poisonings, brutal beatings, patricide, and a pinch of mystery all wait within these pages. There was nothing light and easy about this, but that makes it all the better! There is great struggle, deep pain, and honor in unexpected places if you choose to fall into this insane world

This book has a very slow start and only really picks up halfway through. I think the writing could have been a bit more elevated considering some of the political elements felt very juvenile based on the style of writing.

Overall I think the pacing does increase and the story does become more enjoyable but I don’t know if I would read this book again.

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.

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.