First of all thank you to Yggdrasil Press and Netgalley for this arc.

Sadly I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. Whilst I am fully understanding that this is a relatively short book, it just lacked so much in the way of world building, character development and in some cases (although it is a fantasy book) logical thinking.

I did however love the connections and relationships that the riders had to their dragons.

Once again thank you and I am sorry that I wasn't a fan of this book.

In my capacity as a professional with a keen interest in world-building, I regret to inform you that this book falls short of my expectations. While it demonstrates potential, I cannot help but feel that its primary objective was to capitalize on the current trend of dragon-themed literature, exemplified by works such as Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. Despite my earnest efforts to appreciate its merits, the book suffers from numerous deficiencies.

The introduction of the main character is devoid of substantial character development, leaving the reader with the arduous task of either accepting the character as presented or formulating their own assumptions. Furthermore, the narrative is replete with an overwhelming number of names and backstory elements that, in my opinion, represent missed opportunities for enriching the plot.

Regrettably, I found myself frequently disoriented throughout the book, devoting a significant portion of my reading time to deciphering the unfolding events. I am inclined to believe that a more extended narrative would have facilitated the proper development of both the story and its characters, as the brevity of the book appears to have hindered its potential.

The allure of ‘Dragon Den’ for me lay in its comparison to ‘Fourth Wing’ and ‘The Fast and the Furious’ but essentially failed to live up to those lofty expectations.

Despite its charismatic dragons, particularly the witty Loki, and the intriguing concept it presents, the execution was lacking.
The pacing felt hurried, leaving the story feeling incomplete. With minimal world-building and character development, it was hard to connect with the characters or become invested in their journey. Markus’s tendency to jump to conclusions detracted from the narrative, while his romance with Amira felt very ‘insta-love’ and lacked authenticity.
Ultimately, an idea with a lot of potential but regrettably felt underdeveloped and left me underwhelmed.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Yggdrasil Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

All Markus ever wanted to be, was a dragon rider. He just wants to make his father proud, but all his dreams are about to come to an end when he fails to break a dragon. Lucky for him, he gets a second chance.

Right from the beginning we are thrown into the action, which I love. I definitely got some Fourth wing vibes in the first couple chapters with the dragon school and catching a dragon, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

This is a fast-paced action story with a little romance thrown in. For me the romance fell flat. There was no build up to it and the moments that Markus does think about Amira it felt forced and jarring. The romantic remarks and thoughts seemed to come up at odd times in the first half of the book and it just didn’t work for me. Then at the end after she find out he lied to her, she just forgives him, and all is well.

Because of the fast pace of this book, I found it hard to connect to any of the characters. It feels like we were thrown into the story halfway through with no clue who the characters are or what their relationship is prior to the start of the story, and it never is really made clear.

My favorite character was actually the dragon, Loki.

If you like dragon stories with dragon racing and military academy vibes, you might give it a try.

2.75/5

I got this as an ARC from NetGalley.

I really wanted to enjoy this book based on the premise that it is How to Train Your Dragon mixed with Fourth Wing. I do not feel like it properly lived up to that hype, and I wish it did. I think at a base level the idea was there, but that it almost went too quick to properly form an attachment to any of the characters. I think the idea of post modern dragon air force is cool, but there was not enough meaningful world building to really get me hooked.

The book takes place in/around Seattle, WA and the characters go to a school for dragon riding similar to Basgiath in Fourth Wing. The main character Markus has failed to "break a dragon" and must pack his bags and leave until one of his superior officers offers him the chance for redemption: to use a dragon whose rider was recently murdered and catch whoever has been hijacking the obsidian shipments.

This book was supposedly 180 pages, but I think it was more like 360 since it def felt longer. Ironically, I think it could have used more world building and probably less of the small things like being in class that don't matter as much. There were some cool aspects like <spoiler> gong to Amira's family dinner to talk to her mobster dad that I wish were explored more if Markus was supposed to be a double agent.</spoiler> Instead, we got capture the flag and other games that I feel like did not add much value for the worldbuilding or for creating attachments to the side characters. There was even a romance that I felt was a bit rushed, from classmates to full on banging.

The book ends in a way that sets it up for a sequel. I think that the concept is there and could be another great dragon read, but it definitely needs a bit of work.

3.5 always excited to dragon books! Love the world and the story. I wish the cover was more fantasy less YA/childish only because I think it would sell better in store/be easier to convince people to read it if it was a “cooler” cover.

This book is lacking some depth which makes it difficult to stick with throughout the entire story. Since the story picks up in the middle of Markus's story I think we needed more of an explanation of what was going on to fully understand Markus and get invested in his journey. I wasn't able to build a connection with any of the characters and since the world building also was not super strong I found it hard to get immersed in the story. The story felt extremely rushed especially the romantic parts. I did really enjoy the dragons and thought they were done well. Overall the story felt very rushed and I wasn't able to connect with the characters as much as I would have liked to.

All Markus Fredriksen wants is to "break" a Black Clubtail dragon and become a dragon rider. At the beginning of the book, the reader picks up at the very end of Markus's time at the Dragild Military Academy when he fails to... break a dragon. This opening scene was a bit jarring and confusing, and seemed to have elements of a climatic scene without the emotional impact of having gotten to know the characters or the world of the book. Markus also made constant sexual comments about a female character's body in the first few pages of the story that felt off-putting, and made me question his motivations in the story and not want to get to him more. In contrast, I enjoyed the initial scenes of his burgeoning connection with a previously broken dragon (who can talk!) and Markus's sense of caring and more vulnerable and relatable thoughts. Although I did not feel invested enough in the characters or plot to continue with the book, it might appeal to readers who are looking for a quick read involving dragons and exciting action.

Title: Dragon Den
Author: Kriss Dean
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3/5 🌟

I was initially interested in this title due to interesting premise of it being inspired by the Fast and Furious franchise and being noted as perfect for fans of Fourth Wing and How to Train Your Dragon. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to this.

It’s quite a fast paced book but never really allowing you to connect with the characters and form any attachments. Because of this, there really was a lack of story or any depth to it. I found the dialogue to be a bit cheesy and cringy at times - the MMC describes another characters outfit as ‘lit’.

Its a-shame because I feel like there’s could have been some potential for a god read, however it missed the mark on many occasions.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Well, I am not quite sure where to start with this review.

Dragon Den kind of feels like you get plopped right into the middle of a story you know nothing about, and you never end up getting any preface or backstory to anything. I felt left to try and fit all the pieces together with this story, but I never had a chance because it was so fast paced. There was 0 world building, few descriptions, and heavy in the dialogue. I honestly felt pretty confused for the majority of this story, as I felt a huge, vital piece of plot had been left out somewhere.

The romance in this is extremely forced and just happens almost instantly? Even though the MMC makes it seem like it would never happen. The smut scenes made me want to die in a hole. Using “sensitive nub” as a description? Noooooo please.

I did give this book the 2 stars it got because I think there were pieces that, with development, could be more intriguing. There was just an overall lack of depth, that it almost felt like this was not a final copy ready to be published.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC copy!

This didn't work for me... I absolutely loved the cover and the synopsis, so I'm left a bit disappointed about the actual plot itself.

Right away in the first chapter, it felt like I was thrown in the middle of Markus' journey and in the middle of his relationship with Amira. It truly felt like I was opening a book in the middle and just started reading from that point onwards. Therefore, I wasn't able to really connect with them or root for their relationship. I simply didn't care about any of the characters or their relationships. 

And phrases such as "your dress was lit", I mean...??? What was that?! The synopsis draws comparison to Fourth Wing but can anyone imagine Xaden telling Violet that?

Despite all of this, I did love Loki, Markus' dragon. For him and him alone, I am giving this book 2 stars. 

And finally, thank you to Yggdrasil Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I had such a hard getting into this book. There was so little information and the story just jumps right in and I felt really lost and confused. The book as a whole seemed very fast paced and it made it difficult to connect to any of the characters or the world itself. The romance was so-so but I was not invested.

I was initially interested in this book because it was marketed for those who love Fourth Wing but I was really let down. I think the dragon aspect was great but the story as a whole lacked.

I just simply had too many problems with this book to enjoy it. Firstly, the romance which I honestly cared about most was incredibly insta-lovey. I much prefer when the connection between characters builds over time, and that is not necessarily synonymous with wanting a slow burn. I was also not a huge fan with the treatment and approaches toward "breaking in" the dragons. And lastly the world building was severely underdeveloped.

THE PLAGAIRISM IS NOT OKAY.

Dom (The Fast and the Furious 2001): Ask any racer. Any real racer. It don't matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning is winning.
Tobias (Dragon Den 2024): Ask any racer. Any real racer. It doesn't matter if it's an inch or a hundred dragon-lengths. Winning is winning.

When the book description mentioned it was inspired by Fourth Wing and How to Train Your Dragon, I didn't believe it could mean the author sat down and chose the finest elements from each and dumped them into this novel without any change. To the point that Markus - our main character - almost exclusively calls his dragon "bud", the exact same nickname Hiccup uses for Toothless in HTTYD

I have mixed feelings on this book.
While the story line was cute and it held my interest, it really felt like a copy of another dragon rider book we all know and love.
It follows almost the same story line, but instead of the characters going off to war, it almost has a mafia style feel to it.
All in all, if I’m not comparing it to anything it’s a decent story and fun to read.
But it’s really hard to not see the comparisons that are blatantly obvious.

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.

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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.

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