"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!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. As a fan of anything dragon, I was really looking forward to this. The pace at the beginning is quite slow, but once it gets going I flew through the book. The magic system is well described but could be slightly confusing at times. I loved the characters but boy do they take a beating throughout the course of the story. This is not something for the faint of heart, at times it is very bleak. Looking forward to the next instalment.

Okay, this is a must read! If you like dragons, political intrigue and machinations, and a touch of violence, pick it up!
Our main character Jai is a prisoner for an elderly royal who murdered his father, but through some determination and a lot of luck, he escapes and bonds with a dragon.
And so begins our epic and dangerous quest.
This has all the hallmarks of old school, classic fantasy but with new twists to keep you interested.
It starts a little slow to build the world, but the action really picks up towards the middle.
And we get to learn about all the intracacies of the magic system and the world, alongside the many hardships and problems to fall on our main character. Winter (the dragon) and Jai's relationships is also a stand out point in this book, and watching them grow together to be better and learn their strengths and weaknesses is a wonderful addition.
The writing style itself is impressive, and the amount of detail is amazing. It is true high fantasy, and with dragons added in, what more could you want!?
This is the first book in the series, and I already cannot wait to read the rest.