Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu

Jai has spent his life forced to serve the cruel empire that killed his family and now rules his people.

To grow ever more powerful, the emperor’s young son is betrothed to Princess Erica of the Dansk Kingdom. An unconquerable realm, where ancient beasts roam.

The princess brings with her a priceless gift: dragons.

Only Dansk Royalty can bond with these magical beasts to draw on their power and strength.

Until now.

When the betrothal goes wrong, a bloody coup leads to chaos at court.

Finally, Jai has a chance to escape. He flees with a fierce Dansk warrior, Frida, but not before stealing a dragon egg. To vanquish the empire, he must do the impossible: bond with a dragon. Only then he can seize his destiny, and seek his revenge …

An epic new fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Taran Matharu, where dragons fly and empires fall.

REVIEWS 

‘A dazzlingly epic and richly complex world of dragons, magic, and rebellion’ Amélie Wen Zhao, New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night

'Dragons with depth… Taran Matharu masterfully layers the history, politics and soulful magic of his world with page-turning ease, all the while delivering shocks, bloodshed and a splash of slow-burn spice' Cari Thomas, Sunday Times bestselling author of Threadneedle

'Eragon and Sapphira, Laurence and Temeraire, and now Jai and Winter. A brilliant beginning!' Michael R. Miller, bestselling author of the Songs of Chaos series

‘Bloody, glorious, and irresistibly compelling, Dragon Rider is a riveting epic that is at once sweepingly vast and heart-wrenchingly personal’ Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of The Bone Maker

‘Brutal politics, intricate worldbuilding, and edge-of-the-seat battles’ Prashanth Srivatsa, author of The Spice Gate

‘A classic fantasy adventure that reminds me of the novels I loved growing up, but with a flair of cultivation from the novels I love now’ Will Wight, New York Times bestselling author of the Cradle series