New York Times bestselling author Taran Matharu’s debut adult fantasy series introduces an immersive story written in the tradition of the viral cultivation genre. Discover a rich world of magic, warriors, and dragons, in which a fearless orphan and an ambitious handmaiden flee from the empire that would imprison them, with a dream to return to their homelands and a determination that’s unbreakable… Can an orphan captive learn the secrets of the Dragon Riders to stand up and avenge his people? Jai lives as a royal hostage in the Sabine Court—ever since his father Rohan, leader of the Steppefolk, led a failed rebellion and was executed by the very emperor Jai now serves. When the emperor’s son and heir is betrothed to Princess Erica of the neighboring Dansk Kingdom, she brings with her a dragons. Endemic to the northern nation, these powerful beasts come in several forms, but mystery surrounds them. Only Dansk royalty know the secret to soulbonding with these dangerous beasts to draw on their power and strength. This marriage—and the alliance that forms—will change that forever. But conspirators lurk in the shadows, and soon the Sabine Court is in chaos. With his life in danger, Jai uses the opportunity to escape with the Dansk handmaiden, Frida, and a stolen hatchling. Hunted at every turn, he must learn to cultivate magic and become a soulbound warrior if he has any chance of finding safety, seizing his destiny…and seeking his revenge.
I don't always weigh in on covers, but I do think the UK version is nicer in this case. It's eye catching and the colors are lovely, while the US version, while still nice, is a bit more generic fantasy.
Taran's teen novels have been very steady sellers since publication. His first adult novel looks set to continue that trend. Set in a fantasy, vaguely Asian world, the countries and alliances are well formed and the individual characters even more so. Introductions and information comes at just the right speed, so we're neither bored nor overwhelmed with exposition.
The ending, of course, is a cliffhanger! That's the way series go at the moment, but it's still a little annoying having to wait for the next one. Still, it's definitely worth it for the rich world building and fantastic characters. Jai is a great new hero and I can't wait to see what he'll do next.
Dragon Rider publishes on the 23rd April, 2024 in the US (top image) and on the 25th April, 2024 in the UK (lower image). I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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