Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this arc!

I wanted to love this book, the blurb had everything I would have enjoyed in a book if it was executed well. I almost DNF’d this book a couple times around 15% and 70% into the book. The book is fast paced, but it fell short for me. I liked Maria and Markus but at times the world building was very confusing. I feel like the dragons and modern world did mesh, I think it needed to be fleshed out more.

Over-all the book was ok read, it has some spice as expected from a “college” students.

I had high hopes when I requested this dragon-filled fantasy inspired by the Fast and Furious franchise. While I feel like the concept for this story had potential, it unfortunately fell flat for me as a reader.

What I enjoyed: The dragon racing element was really interesting, and I wish there had been more of it! I also loved the banter between Markus and Loki through their bond.

What I didn’t enjoy: The characters lacked depth, which made it really hard to understand their motivations and read their emotions as genuine. This stuck out to me most with the female characters, who felt like expendable stereotypes at best. This also deeply impacted the romantic subplot between Markus and Amira, which felt devoid of chemistry.

My last gripe is that the cover art reminded me of a diva cup, and I couldn’t unsee it after I noticed. That said, I still think the colors and style of the cover artwork are BEAUTIFUL. A subtle shape adjustment would make all the difference.

Although this book ultimately fell short of my expectations, I am hopeful for a sequel that adds some depth to the characters and includes more world building.

3.5/5
The writing and story were good. Think a modern day Fourth Wing but the main character is male. It had a nice plot twist.

I usually don’t give arcs anything lower than 3 ⭐️’s, because I’m one of the first few hundred people reading a book that isn’t out yet, and it just doesn’t feel right, but sometimes it’s necessary.

This books lacks necessary depth to make the story work. The story begins in the middle of Markus’ journey, and though this method sometimes works, making the reader catch up to what’s been happening, it didn’t work this time. Partly because we don’t get much information from before the book begins. The reader is just placed in these moments, and just has to deal with whatever happens. This also hurts the character building as well, since we haven’t been with them from the start, the reader doesn’t know them and can’t connect. I certainly couldn’t connect with anyone.

The romance felt very insta-love since everything was rushed. The whole book was rushed, with my version being 180 pages. On Goodreads it’s supposed to be around 300. Don’t know what happened there 👀

This book was advertised for fans of the Fast and the Furious, Fourth Wing, and How To Train your Dragon. And it certainly was, with an actual quote being taken from the Fast and Furious movie and incorporated into the book, nearly word for word.

Dom from Fast and the Furious: “Ask any racer. Any real racer. It doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning is winning.”
Tobias in this book: “Ask any racer. Any real racer. It doesn’t matter if it’s an inch or a hundred dragon’s lengths. Winning is winning.”
It wouldn’t surprise me if there are more lines taken from the movie and placed in the book, this was just an obvious one.

There’s also the aggravating constant of Markus calling his dragon ‘bud’, just like Hiccup calls Toothless from the HTTYD movies. Do with this information what you will.

I wouldn’t recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an arc anyway. They are always appreciated.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

This book is advertised as perfect for fans of Fourth Wing and Sarah J Maas but I found there to be little link and it was clearly written in the wake of Yarro's Fourth Wing success. Yes the book is set at a dragon school, they need to bond a dragon and they all dress in black clothing, but that's about as far as the similarities go for me.

As a debut novel I think this has got some potential but in my opinion it is a first draft and it needs a lot more work before it should be published. To compare to the likes of Yarros and Maas the author needs to focus on intense world building, character development, more lore and some layers plotlines to justify the comparison. For now I would say this book is a fun quick read.

The pacing of the book is very fast and perhaps a little 2D. We barely get chance to connect with any of the main characters and the world building is a little lazy for a fantasy book since it is set in Seattle/Portland area of the US. The book does explore some heavier topics such as responsible retail, racism and police brutality but it did feel like a tick box exercise unfortunately and it needs expanding on rather than one character simply explaining to another that its happening.

Kriss Dean's dragon descriptions are really interesting with them being much less fearsome and a lot smaller than most dragon portrayals we see in books and instantly friendly with humans. An Ick for me was the colloquial language "this sucks" "yes bud", it would be easier to like the MC if he were even slightly intellectual. He is an 'almost' drop out wannabe jock and it doesn't even hit the mark for me.

I did enjoy the dragon races and fighting pits as a concept but I felt that they should have had a better reason to do that than just to make money, I wanted to see much more of a developing friendship and bond with the dragons, they might as well have been a broomstick. It did feel very 'fast and furious' with little consideration for dragons safety and that came through very clearly towards the end with the big heist and how little emotion the characters had.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

2.5 -- thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review

Dragon Den follows Markus, a student dragon rider, who is given a mission to infiltrate a clan that is hijacking semi-trucks that are transporting obsidian in order to keep his given dragon and remain at the Dragild Military Academy. In the midst of his mission, he fall for the clan leader's daughter (who also happens to be the girl of his dreams).

I love the idea of dragons and humans being paired and becoming a team together, but I felt like this universe just didn't make sense to me. I couldn't tell what time period we were in, how fantastical this world was, and I think it was because the plot was underdeveloped. I honestly don't remember the first time the plan got explained to Markus. I think this was too fast paced and did not provide enough world building for this to feel really interesting. I am newer to dragon-type fantasy, but I didn't love this one.

I didn't really feel connected to the characters. I kept confusing Tobias and Jonas and I felt like the way all of their dynamics/relationships developed and shifted was too quick. I also didn't love the main couple that much... they just didn't have the chemistry the author was trying to give them. I also just feel like Markus was written to be this cool guy but at the same time a mega loser? Idk, he just wasn't that great. I liked Loki, but again, I just didn't really get connected to him.

I just thought this was boring, however I don't know if I was the market for the book since it WAS described as being inspired by The Fast and The Furious, Fourth Wing, and How to Train Your Dragon (all of which I have never seen or read).

Dragon Den by Kriss Dean
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Described as being for fans of The Fast and Furious and Fourth Wing I knew I had to read this. I’d say it is Fast fan fiction, there’s times where the characters say and do the same thing as they do in the first film. There are some awesome dragons and it is set in a dragon riding school with high stakes like Fourth Wing but I’d say the similarities end there really.

I enjoyed moments of it and liked the book overall, but did feel like I knew what would happen next throughout the entire book as I have seen the film too many times. I’d have preferred it to be more inspired than The Fast and the Furious with dragons instead of cars and racism thrown in. It felt like the racism was added unnecessarily. My main issues were that there wasn’t enough world building and character development because it is following the film’s storyline too much. I really love Markkus and Amira as the main characters but they could have done with more skin on their bones.

I’d like to see where the next book goes, and if it is more unique fiction than fanfiction.

This tried to be fourth wing and how to train your dragon but missed the mark. It was fast paced but lacked in being set apart from other dragon novels.

This book was trying to be a lot of things all at once. I liked the concept of dragons in modern day but they just kept throwing words around and hoping it would make sense. It felt like poor fan fiction of Fourth Wing. And I love fan fiction but this just missed so many marks and felt like a lot of half thoughts that could have been so good if executed with a bit more care.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read Dragon’s Den.

Unfortunately, I personally didn’t find it to be that great. It was extremely fast paced and it felt as though the entire book was rushed. There is so much information regarding the characters and the dragons that the book was lacking. There is no proper background on who these characters really are and it’s makes the book difficult to read because it doesn’t allow the readers to fully grasp and understand these characters or to know where they come from or why the act a certain way.

“Dragon Den” was a very fast paced read, promising a thrilling ride. But the fast pace leaves little room for character development. The protagonists remain elusive, mere silhouettes against a vivid backdrop. However, the world-building shines—a thousand realms waiting to be explored. Spice and intrigue abound, yet without character connections, they feel forced. Our underdog, Markus, lacks a compelling reason for his status. In sum, “Dragon Den” is a decent tale, but its trail fades swiftly.

This book was ok. I thought the premise was exciting and I enjoyed where it was going. I don’t think it’s marketed correctly as a comparison to fourth wing in my opinion. The writing style wasn’t my thing unfortunately.

📚Dragon Den
🖋️Author: @krissdeanwrites
📝P.g.:310
📆Publication date: June 20
🖌️Publisher: Yggdrasil Press
🗂️Genre: Romantic Fantasy

•𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝐸𝒱𝐼𝐸𝒲•

“My head feels light from the elevation, but I’ve never felt so alive. So free. Part of it comes from Loki. Two minds, one wavelength.”

📌Summary:
The story follows our hero, Markus Fredriksen, who after failing to break a dragon at Dragild Military Academy
( a school for dragon riders), has to complete a mission in order to stay in school. He is given a dragon named Loki and
the mission is to infiltrate the clan running the Dragon Den, suspected of hijacking semi-trucks carrying precious obsidian. Markus has to succeed in his mission while falling for clan leader’s daughter, Amira.

📌Review:
The book is a mix of Fourth Wing and Fast and Furious. It is set in a modern world where dragons have been there since the beginning. So it was very exciting to read about dragons racing in modern cities.

The book is action packed, it is literally non stop. I really
liked the connection between Markus and his dragon.

I wanted the book to be a little bit longer so we could have a chance to get to know the characters more.

I will definetely read the sequel when it comes out.

📌Thoughts: If you love Fast and Furious mainly and Fourth Wing, the book comes out on the 20th of June and it’s waiting for you.

Thank you Yggdrasil Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I went in hoping for a Fourth Wing like book from the MMC. This was just like described, fast and the furious but with dragons. I felt a little lost in some of the work building and could’ve used more explaining in certain areas. It’s a fast paced read that feels a bit rushed at times. Overall a good story but hope there is a part two that can explain more for me.

Format: E-Book
Rating: 2.5 to 3
Spice: 🌶🌶
Genre: Fantasy

The book follows Markus Fredriksen, a first year dragon rider looking to break a dragon and solidify continuing his families legacy. When things do not go as planned Markus is given a second chance through redeeming himself, a broken dragon, and figuring out who is behind the heist. Markus and his friends work together to figure out what goes on outside the schools walls and everything may not be as it seems.

I first want to thank the publisher for providing my with my first ARC. Let’s start with the pros.

As an advice Fantasy and Romantasy reader, the cover art and comparison to Fourth Wing had me salivating for more. I love when books are able to come to life and especially when an author is willingly put their stories out into the world. Especially in a market like this one, you have to come out strong with what the people love. I also loved the diverse set of characters and personalities I didn’t feel as though it was a cookie cutter cast. I also thought having the present day mix with dragons was totally cool.

Now for the not so good. I felt as though I had two major problems with this. I do not think the plot was carrying itself well. I was left with so many questions when it came to how the dragons came around, how the collars were made, the history of these heists, and the characters background. It felt very surface and then in turn, the story fell flat. I couldn’t feel as thought I could root for any one just because the chemistry and build up was there. Additionally, the simplistic and VERY modern language through me off. I like the combination of both elements, but the way the story was written from the conversation to the inner monologue, it was very simplistic.

In the end, I think this was awesome for Kriss to take a chance and leap. I just don’t think the story was quite for me!

What a wild ride- literally! This book was described as Fast & Furious but with dragons and that is EXACTLY what we got!

I enjoyed the story and, as a fan of both dragons and F&F, I was so interested to see where the story went. I'm not going to lie, it was kinda weird though. I don't really think I enjoyed the whole "dragons in modern America" thing. The story was not actually set in modern America, so that's not an exact representation, BUT it IS set in Portland... and the whole deal with how "real" the world felt, the dragons just seems oddly misplaced? It's a cool concept and idea, but it honestly felt a bit goofy at times. Still enjoyed the story though and would recommend as a fun read! I liked that it wasn't too long so it's not a major commitment. Kriss Dean did a great job with her writing as well so it was easy to read and follow along with the story!

Thank you to NetGalley & Yggdrasil Press for the opportunity to read and review Dragon Den!

Dragon's Den is a good start to a series of energetic dragon adventures with intrigue, races, and a bit of romance thrown in!

The world-building was fairly well down. The book takes place in a modern, yet alternate, version of our world where dragons exist alongside cellphones and computers. The military academy is one of the main settings, yet there are very few interactions with teachers that make it feel extremely regimented. Students seem to have a lot of freedom.

Markus is a fairly relatable main character. He's a 19 year old kid trying to find his way in both school and the world. He holds himself to certain standards that he has trouble seeing past, as most 19 year old's do. He struggled to balance school, friendship, love, and some tp-secret-missions.

Over-all the book was a fun read, and I really appreciated that the author included a list of potential trigger warnings at the beginning. The book has some very spicy scenes, so beware if you don't have any spice tolerance!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this arc!
I really enjoyed Amira and Markus. The world was a little confusing at times and I don’t think I was able to fully grasp the world building and what the politics were and what everyone’s role was, but overall I enjoyed the storyline and loved the inner discussions between dragons and their riders.

While this book was “fast paced” as it describes in the synopsis, it just fell short for me. It was almost too quick to move on from things that were important to development of the characters. This made it so that you weren’t able to fall in love with the characters or build a bond like those of Maas or Jensen.
I do appreciate being able to keep up with the world building and I did enjoy the overall story arc. I did also enjoy the spice that occurred but because there was no connection with the characters it felt forced just like it was thrown in there. I wanted to be able to cheer for our guy Markus but I really just didn’t care about him because there wasn’t really a reason to. Why was he an underdog? Other first years weren’t treated the same. He was privy to information as a first year that didn’t make sense. Overall it was a decent story, just fell short for me.

Title: Dragon Den
Author: Kriss Dean
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Review:
Thank you to Yggdrasil Press and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A low-fantasy twist on the dragon rider trope, Dragon Den throws us into a world where dragon academies exist in the Pacific Northwest (major bonus points for a PNW dweller like myself!). Markus, our aspiring rider protagonist, is a refreshing departure from the typical female lead in this genre.

However, Markus's character development felt a bit shallow. While the first-person perspective promises a deep dive into his thoughts, his leaps in logic sometimes left me wanting. This could be an interesting exploration of unspoken male thought processes, but it needs more grounding.

The "friends/enemies-to-lovers" trope takes a surprising backseat here. Markus's upfront romantic interest in the female lead is an unexpected change, though the story unfolds predictably without major plot twists.

Overall, Dragon Den kept me engaged enough to consider the sequel. Here's hoping for richer character development and a more intricate plot in the next installment!