Dragon Rider Book 1 cover art

Dragon Rider Book 1

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Dragon Rider Book 1

By: Taran Matharu
Narrated by: Tom Babbage
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About this listen

FROM THE ASHES OF AN EMPIRE, A HERO WILL RISE… THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

‘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

FROM THE ASHES OF AN EMPIRE, A HERO WILL RISE…

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.

'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

READ THE EPIC FANTASY WITH SCORCHING FIVE-STAR READER REVIEWS 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

‘After falling in love with the dragons in Fourth Wing and Iron FlameDragon Rider did not disappoint in any way. I was hooked’

‘What an absolutely amazing ride this was!’

‘Fans of Iron Flame and Dragonfall will love this book!’

‘Okay, this is a must read! If you like dragons, political intrigue and machinations, and a touch of violence, pick it up!’

©2024 Taran Matharu Ltd (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
Action & Adventure Coming of Age Dragons & Mythical Creatures Epic Fantasy Genre Fiction Royalty Dragons Fiction Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt Scary Magic

Critic 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

‘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

‘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

‘An excellent addition to the collection of any fantasy reader!’ Dakota Krout, bestselling author of The Completionist Chronicles

‘Dragons soar, kingdoms clash, and a unlikely hero discovers his inner strength and forges his own destiny’ Jennifer Estep, New York Times bestselling author of the Crown of Shards series

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

All stars
Most relevant
I’m really wanting to listen to this book. I’ve made it a few hours in. The storyline seems good. The narrator has a good voice. But I’m neurodivergent and the saliva in his voice is driving me insane. Can it be edited out somehow? I’m going to have to abandon the book.

The saliva

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This is a book I pre ordered, but then I put different reading. I heard many say this was like the fourth wing and was compared, too. I tried to go in with an open mind on this one. I didn't want to be disappointed. But my god, I loved this book. The bonding with the dragons and other creatures. The magic they draw from their totem and the earth it brilliantly done.

Rai and credit had to go through many trile and obstacles along the way. They worked so hard together, and yet secrets were kept. I loved rufus as well when he came into it such a charater too.

This has been well worth the read. Hightly recommend

this audible done good in my opinion

not your fourth wing

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I loved the captivating way the story flowed can’t wait for the third book to come out hopefully there’s a 4 and 5

The grittiness

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I have really enjoyed listening to this story, it held my attention throughout. The author, characters and narrator were great.

A really enjoyable listening experience.

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I really enjoyed the adventure aspect of this book! Fantasy books are my favourite but I’ve never read anything like this before! The narrator did a fantastic job and made this book amazing to listen to. I loved the variety of voices and it kept me gripped the whole time! Definitely recommend!

Amazing fantasy adventure!

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