Hey, you crazy cats and kittens. Step into the spear line with me as we talk about the most recent #HaremLit book that I’ve ever read! This book was a lot of fun, it literally made me laugh several times. I enjoy a good dad joke, double entendre, and general comedic shenanigans and this book delivered. This ability to tell a good tale while being irreverently funny is why I love this genre and can’t wait to grow my knowledge and exposure within this space. So, join me on this crazy adventure and dive into the deep end of crazy with me, Lance Spears!
Book Title: Lord of the Dragon Riders
Author: Turner Tellborn and Marcus Sloss
Narrator: Adam Stubbs and Mia Fothergill
Audio Publisher: Royal Guard Publishing
eBook Price: $4.99 USD
Audiobook Price: $29.66 USD or one Audible Credit
Whisper Sync Pricing: $12.48 USD
Pages: 646 pages
Audiobook Length: 12 Hours 59 Minutes
Keywords: Dragons, Fantasy, LitRPG, Isekai Fantasy, Dragon Rider
Summary
A strange cry for help distracts Daniel from his boring study session. Curiosity gets the better of him, and he is thrust through a portal where he emerges into a fantasy world of myth, magic, dragons, and war.
His arrival grants him a special opportunity. After stumbling upon a dying dragon, he discovers an egg that is about to hatch. Daniel knows a grand adventure awaits him, and he seizes the moment to become a dragon rider.
Fame, fortune, lust, and glory await Daniel. But they come at a steep cost. Dark forces are gathering, and they want Daniel dead.
But Daniel is not alone. The Wild Dragon Rider will be joined by his Firebound - an assortment of lovely female dragon riders who can help Daniel turn the tide of the war. Assuming he survives long enough to make a difference!
The summary by the authors was spot on! They gave us a hint of what to expect, showed their authorial tone, and generally made me want to read this book. The kick-ass cover helped, but the blurb sold it for me.
Characters
While this is a Harem novel, it was told through the singular point of view of Daniel, a wild dragon rider from Earth, sucked into the realm of Varyra. The characters in this novel felt fleshed out and real. I say that a lot because it’s important and very often a place where authors fail to fully actualize their worlds. And just because Daniel is the main character, his love interests, his friends, and their collection of dragons were given the gift of life through how clearly they were portrayed by the authors.
Daniel: He’s the main character and from Earth, until he’s transported to the land of Varyra. He was your average college student, studying in the library. He’s not a lady’s man, but he isn’t some sort of celibate monk, either. He was a high school wrestler who turned inward when his mom died in a car accident for which he blames himself. Because he was transported to this world through his eyes we get to discover it together. We watch him level up, using the Codex of Varyra to learn and grow. When he gets to this new realm, we learn that he is the wild one and the rider of a wild dragon. He is the stuff of prophecy, making people love him, hate him, or fear him. Sometimes a bit of all three, I think? He was an extremely fleshed-out character and seemed real to me. I’d definitely take him out for a beer run if he was the drinking type.
Mehlar: This is Daniel’s bound dragon, whom he finds as an egg and raises. Together, these two are best friends, and we get the thrilling privilege of adventuring with them. Like Daniel, he also levels up throughout the progression of this book, and we get to see him grow exponentially from the beginning to the end of this novel.
Saya: She’s a woman from the eastern kingdoms who rises above her station when she becomes a dragon tamer. With her dragon Dracona in tow, she meets Daniel on a scouting mission. She’s the first to learn his secrets and brings him to the Academy in Centralis to train. She’s the typical redhead, with green eyes and pale freckled skin. She has a feisty warrior spirit to match and is a good balance against the rest of the adventuring party. She’s the first member of Daniel’s harem and thus the senior Firebound mate, I think? Not sure if the seniority is a thing here, but she certainly has that take charge attitude of one. She felt like a very fleshed-out character to me. She sounded like she’d be a lot of fun in the bedroom or training on swordcraft with her. The lady loved her blades, and I can respect that.
Elias: He’s the son of a lesser nobleman from the southern kingdoms and is a dragon rider. During his training at the Academy, he befriends Daniel and together they grow and learn together. We didn’t see him as much as I would have liked in this novel, but he did feel real to me. I hope we get to see more of him in book two.
Olivia Blackwell: She’s the well-to-do daughter of a nobleman in the northern kingdoms. Her dad is an agent of the king and she’s from a prestigious family. She’s a petite blonde with pale skin and blue eyes and a demure spirit that balances well against Saya’s. She’s more of the group healer and peacemaker, which she does very well. We don’t see as much of her as I’d like in this book, but I hope that changes in the next novel! Seriously, she was a fun addition to Daniel’s harem, and I think there will be big things from her in book two. While she didn’t get as much screen time as I would have preferred, the times we saw her felt real. She wasn’t your typical cardboard cutout; she was a living, breathing character, and I liked it.
Azrael: She’s a dragonkin, who Daniel rescues from an attack by dark elves while on an Academy scouting mission. She’s a magical being and so much more, but I don’t want to give any spoilers. I can say, without spoilers, that she felt real and fleshed out.
Plot and Pacing
This story was well written, with a clear and concise plot that made sense to me. The adventure made sense, and felt like there was a grand plan to the shenanigans. Even cooler, this story was paced extremely well, too! There was just the right amount of action split up with thematic lulls where we could catch our breath. We get to see Daniel fight with dark elves and then relax as he trains and grows with Mehlar, his dragon. Then he biblically experiences his Firebound harem members, and then we’re back to the action sequences. It kept me hooked from start to finish, and I listened to this audiobook in one go. Sleep? Who needs it? Not me!
Audiobook Quality
The audiobook was excellently performed; I loved hearing these two narrators read the story to me. At first it was hard to adjust to their British accents, but once I got used to it, I ceased noticing it. It just blended into the background of an epic adventure. Their performance was amazing, seriously, it was good! It felt like a couple of friends were telling me a “no shit, there I was tale” instead of two professionals reading me a bedtime story. Don’t get me wrong, this was professional-quality narration. It just felt more conversational when paired with the writing style of the authors. The only oddity I saw was that the introduction was listed as chapter one, so all of the chapter numbers in the audiobook were one-offs from the chapter number from the printed text. Not a huge issue unless you’re jumping back and forth between the two. Just so we’re clear… I am gushing over this book. And I’ve started noticing that the audiobook publisher, Royal Guard Publishing, is top-notch. I even prefer their finished product more than some of the other audiobook publishing houses out there. The final product is just cleaner, so they’ve earned my continued loyalty and patronage.
Sizzle Factor
There are several romantic interludes in this book, and Daniel has the time of his life! You will, too, when you listen to it or read the printed word. These authors wrote these scenes in plain language without losing the O-Face Factor! Even better, they kept that sexual tension up throughout the whole novel. It did not feel like it was an afterthought; the romance and sexual intimacy were baked into the very plot of this world. Seriously, we had a few casual blowies, some ‘wham, bam, thank you ma’am’ scenes, and even a tryst between Daniel and two of his ladies. I’d write more, but I want to let you experience it for the first time for yourself.
Overall
Now, we get to dive even deeper into the coolness of The Lord of the Dragon Riders. Let’s start with the thing that hooks every reader: the characters that inhabit the worlds where we spend our literary time. As I said above, all of these people were well-written. Even the secondary characters, who only had minor roles, felt real. Maybe it’s because the main characters were so well-written that the buy-in was there for me. I don’t know, but the world just felt more real because of how well-written the men, women, and creatures who inhabit Varyra were.
Next, the part that I always focus on… the action scenes. More specifically, the combat scenes. I was no Super-Secret Delta Ranger Navy Seal Sniper. Nope, I was just your average infantryman who wrestled and took judo lessons in high school. Oh, and I played rugby while on active duty because I needed a place to vent my frustration. I say that to say this. I know what happens when people go toe-to-toe in visceral fight scenes. Why do I mention all of that? Because the action scenes in this book where Daniel fights the dark elves were spot on. It felt real; you could almost smell the blood and hear the grunting of swords clanging against each other.
I don’t want to repeat myself, but the physical presentation of this novel was well done. The audiobook was performed excellently, and the eBook was put together in a professional manner. Even better, the book covers were AMAZING! The eBook cover showcased Olivia, and the audiobook cover showcased Saya. I loved that we got to see his two loves, his harem members, and his found family. The art was top-notch and vibrant; not much else to say there.
Finally, the coolest part of this book was all of the dragons. Cause, duh, dragons. The author played into the common draconic lore that we all know and love; they didn’t reinvent the wheel. No, but they certainly made it sexier! Seriously, if you ever wondered what Pern would look like if it wore smuttier clothing, this is the book for you! I saw dragon in the title, and I was sold, and I don’t regret it. Book two audiobook, when? Seriously, I’m hooked and need my next fix!