Dragon Rider

Bestselling YA author Matharu (The Summoner) kicks off his debut adult fantasy series with a riveting first volume that finds Steppefolk Prince Jai forced into servitude to the royals of the Sabine Empire after Emperor Leonid kills Jai’s father, King Rohan of the Kidara tribe. Leonid now hopes to broker peace between all the kingdoms and arranges a marriage between his heir, Prince Titus, and the Dansk Princess Erica. But Titus has other plans: before the ceremony can take place, he violently betrays his family and frames Jai and the Dansk royals for his crimes, triggering a war against both the Great Steppe and the Dansk Kingdom. With the entire Sabine court hot on his tail, Jai flees for his life. Now he has only one goal: revenge. To take down Titus, however, he’ll have to train as a dragon rider. Matharu masterfully lays the groundwork for what promises to be an epic series, taking his time to develop the tension and establish the worldbuilding. Fantasy readers will look forward to Jai’s next move. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (Apr.)