Review by Booklist Review
Jai and his two brothers are symbolic captives in the Sabine court. Their father, Rohan, fought against the Sabine Empire, but ultimately died a terrible death for his efforts. In order to keep their people, the Steppefolk, from fighting again, the brothers are kept from their culture. The divisions of the kingdoms in this world run deep and nothing shows that more clearly than when a Dansk princess comes to court to marry the Sabine prince. She is fierce, bonded with a dragon, and comfortable advocating for herself. Jai is automatically intrigued by the princess, whereas the Sabine prince can't seem to decide how to treat her and most of the time ignores her. There is so much going on here, but the politics of the court is what drives the novel forward. Jai, a novice and relative nobody, is pulled into a complicated chess game, in which he is not a high-valued player, but nevertheless intends to do the right thing and survive with his brothers. It is fascinating to watch unfold.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
A royal hostage of the Sabine Empire after his father's failed rebellion, Jai has taken care of the former emperor Leonid for the last 10 years. Now the current emperor's heir is getting ready to marry Princess Erica of the Dansk Kingdom. She brings with her a dowry of dragons. Dansk royalty are the only ones who know the secret to soulbond with these powerful beasts to be able to draw on their power and strength, but this alliance could change that. When a betrayal occurs that sends Jai on the run, along with a Dansk handmaiden, Frida, and a dragon hatchling, he must find a way to connect with the magic of the soulbond to stay alive--and get revenge. Jai's relationships with Frida, Leonid, and his brothers ground the story as the quick pace and action carry the plot forward, and the ending will leave readers wanting to know what happens next. VERDICT Matharu's (The Champion) debut adult fantasy is an excellent choice for readers who are enjoying the resurgence of dragon stories.--Kristi Chadwick
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Following a coup, two teenage survivors on the lam join magical forces to fight their way back to their respective kingdoms. Jai and his brothers have spent the last decade serving the Sabine dynasty faithfully, far from the Great Steppe and cut off from their native culture. Their father, the high khan of the Kidara tribe, lost his head to the former emperor Leonid's axe. A royal wedding between Leonid's grandson, Prince Titus, and Princess Erica of the Dansk promises to unite two of the world's great powers and net the Empire a new weapon in its conquering arsenal. Powerful as the Sabine Empire's soulbound--warriors granted superhuman abilities and magical powers as the result of their "soulbond" with legendary creatures--are, their Gryphon Guard are hardly a match for the noble Dansk soulbound, who forge psychic connections to dragons. Welcoming the Dansk princess and her father into the capital is just the opening the opportunistic Titus needs to usurp his father's throne. The prince and his cronies kidnap the princess and massacre all foreign citizens in the Sabine court, including Erica's father, Jai's brothers, and the soulbound dragons belonging to the Dansk nobles. Jai escapes with an exceedingly rare, powerful artifact--a dragon egg, cut from its mother's corpse--and soon finds himself with powers he does not understand as he soulbonds with the beast inside. Thankfully, he has Frida, herself a soulbound, to help guide him--at least until they must part ways at the end of the road, that is. As magical epics go, Matharu isn't reinventing the wheel here. Still, fantasy fans will find much to love in this series starter. The author describes the interior aspects of Jai's magic--such as refilling his mana core and grasping hold of the invisible threads binding him to his hatchling--so deftly, readers will forgive him if these sequences run just a little too long at times. Jai is a mixed-race person of color, and Frida's pale features set her apart in the Sabine Empire. Come for the early steps in one hero's journey, stay for the puppylike dragons and princes in exile. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
