DRAGON RIDER
High Fantasy
AUTHOR:
Taran Matharu
RELEASE DATE:
April 02, 2024
PUBLISHER:
Avon and Harper Voyager
ISBN/ ASIN NUMBER :
9780063227576
RATING:
4.5
AUTHOR LINK:
https://www.authortaranmatharu.com/
Jai is the third son of the late leader of the
Steppefolk. He has lived his entire life as a royal hostage in the Sabine court
serving the former emperor. Jai dreams of the day he and his brothers can
return to their homeland. However, his life changes significantly with the
arrival of the Dansk and their dragons. When insurrection throws the court into
chaos, Jai finds an opportunity to escape with a dragon egg. He and his
companions, his soul-bonded dragonet and a Dansk handmaiden, must elude the
Sabine army. Can Jai learn the magic of the soulbound warriors?
Jai is my favorite type of character in fantasy novels. A
novice, one who is slowly learning as they go. I like how Jai experiences small
successes and setbacks. He does not get things right away, which makes his
character more realistic and relatable. I love Jai and Winter’s bond. Through
Winter, Jai is learning more about himself, his strengths, and his weaknesses. Winter
gives him the incentive to fight.
DRAGON RIDER is the first book in Taran Matharu’s adult
fantasy series, THE SOULBOUND SAGA. I am new to this author. It was the dragon
angle that caught my interest. I am a sucker for dragon stories, especially
ones in high fantasy genre. This book did not disappoint my fantasy needs. Yes,
the story does have an Eragon vibe. (I have not read those books, just watched
the movie.)
It does start out slow. That is to be expected. The
author does a wonderful job setting up his world, the kingdoms in play, and the
Sabine politics and history. The Sabine kind of reminds me of the Romans,
especially in their insatiable need to conquer.
The second part of the book delves more into the world’s
magic system. The unique intricacies and restrictions of it. And how the soul-bonded
animals play into it. I like the variety of creatures/animals people could
soul-bond with. There were a couple I had to search up because I was unfamiliar
with. I also like how there are some creatures more favored in certain kingdoms
than others.
I only have one minor nitpick. I would have liked,
especially in the middle, to have Frida’s point of view.
No comments:
Post a Comment