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pslili1998's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Yggdrasil press for providing the arc in exchange for an non biased review.
This book gets promoted for fans from fast and the furious, fourth wing and Sarah j. Maas. So as I started I imagined Dwayne “the rock” Johnson riding a dragon while drifting through Seattle. The book feels very fast paced and touches multiple subjects that are important in the modern world like sexuality, racism and finding out where you belong. But because of the fast pacing it felt a bit rushed and thus so making the writing feel easy/sloppy/juvenile at times.
I realized as I was reading this that I’m just not a really big fan of fantasy stories that play out in the modern world. It makes them at least in this case feel a bit awkward.
The dialogue that was supposed to be banter didn’t really resonate with me. I think if I was a 15 year old boy it would have matched better.
I mean I really contemplated dnf’ing when the mmc was talking about girly shit to clean up with after having seks with his love interest.
This book gets promoted for fans from fast and the furious, fourth wing and Sarah j. Maas. So as I started I imagined Dwayne “the rock” Johnson riding a dragon while drifting through Seattle. The book feels very fast paced and touches multiple subjects that are important in the modern world like sexuality, racism and finding out where you belong. But because of the fast pacing it felt a bit rushed and thus so making the writing feel easy/sloppy/juvenile at times.
I realized as I was reading this that I’m just not a really big fan of fantasy stories that play out in the modern world. It makes them at least in this case feel a bit awkward.
The dialogue that was supposed to be banter didn’t really resonate with me. I think if I was a 15 year old boy it would have matched better.
I mean I really contemplated dnf’ing when the mmc was talking about girly shit to clean up with after having seks with his love interest.
rays_of_sunshine_08's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Thank you netgalley and Yggdrasil Press for an arc of Dragon Den in exchange for an honest review. The book follows our protagonist, Markus, after he is given a once in a life-time second chance to fufil his dream of being a dragon-rider after his dreams were crushed due to his failed attempt to break a dragon.
11/05/2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Listen, this book wasn't bad. In fact, it was an easy read, and there were moments were I found myself really enjoying it, and I would definitely read a sequel if it is written. However, there were a few things that I found could be done better.
The most prominent thing for me was the lack of world-building, which felt basically non-existent. We were given practically zero information about the world, its history and the history of dragon riders and the tradition to "break" a dragon. I also think we could have been given more information about the clans, and their various dynamics.
Alongside this, I felt like we weren't given enough information about the characters. Most of the side characters seemed extremely one dimensional, and the main character's story felt so abrupt that I didn't totally get his story at first. I am a sucker for a non-linear timeline, for being shoved right into the thick of the action, but I just didn't feel like I could root for a protagonist whose world and motivations I didn't understand.
Which brings me to possibly my least favourite part of the book; the love story. It was implied that Markus had liked Amira for a long time, but for the first 70% of the book, there was absolutely no chemistry between them, and it all felt a little too "insta-love"y for me. However, after Amira and Markus's first date, it seemed to improve.
My last critique is on some of the descriptive language, which felt very repetitive, which made it boring to read. By the third time Amira was described with her "vanilla flavoured lotion," I had had enough.
Anyways, as I said before, there were moments where I thoroughly enjoyed the book...
The dragon racing scene was amazingly written, and my favourite part of the entire book was the dragon fight. It felt unique to the book, less surface-level telling and more descriptive showing then the rest of the book. It also made use of its own story, rather than drawing straight from its inspirations (Fast & Furious and HTTYD)
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This book is an easy read, and I'd never expect a debut novel to be perfect. With some fleshing out, nuance added and perhaps some distance from the inspiration, but rather its own story, this book could have been really good.
11/05/2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Listen, this book wasn't bad. In fact, it was an easy read, and there were moments were I found myself really enjoying it, and I would definitely read a sequel if it is written. However, there were a few things that I found could be done better.
The most prominent thing for me was the lack of world-building, which felt basically non-existent. We were given practically zero information about the world, its history and the history of dragon riders and the tradition to "break" a dragon. I also think we could have been given more information about the clans, and their various dynamics.
Alongside this, I felt like we weren't given enough information about the characters. Most of the side characters seemed extremely one dimensional, and the main character's story felt so abrupt that I didn't totally get his story at first. I am a sucker for a non-linear timeline, for being shoved right into the thick of the action, but I just didn't feel like I could root for a protagonist whose world and motivations I didn't understand.
Which brings me to possibly my least favourite part of the book; the love story. It was implied that Markus had liked Amira for a long time, but for the first 70% of the book, there was absolutely no chemistry between them, and it all felt a little too "insta-love"y for me. However, after Amira and Markus's first date, it seemed to improve.
My last critique is on some of the descriptive language, which felt very repetitive, which made it boring to read. By the third time Amira was described with her "vanilla flavoured lotion," I had had enough.
Anyways, as I said before, there were moments where I thoroughly enjoyed the book...
The dragon racing scene was amazingly written, and my favourite part of the entire book was the dragon fight. It felt unique to the book, less surface-level telling and more descriptive showing then the rest of the book. It also made use of its own story, rather than drawing straight from its inspirations (Fast & Furious and HTTYD)
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This book is an easy read, and I'd never expect a debut novel to be perfect. With some fleshing out, nuance added and perhaps some distance from the inspiration, but rather its own story, this book could have been really good.
toriana's review
adventurous
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thanks Nerdfam for the ARC!
I think this book had great potential and is a solid first book. It’s definitely cliché in parts and needed at least 150 pages more to develop everything, including the worldbuilding (is this scifi? What do you mean ww7? Why not more details?) but it’s a fast and fun read. For fans of fast and furious and how to train your dragon who want a short, fast and not too deep fantasy/scifi book series.
I think this book had great potential and is a solid first book. It’s definitely cliché in parts and needed at least 150 pages more to develop everything, including the worldbuilding (is this scifi? What do you mean ww7? Why not more details?) but it’s a fast and fun read. For fans of fast and furious and how to train your dragon who want a short, fast and not too deep fantasy/scifi book series.
elle_laine's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Dragons. School. A mystery. Second-chances. Markus is a student at a school that teaches their students how to train dragons and cultivate the bond between dragon and dragon rider. When it is time for Markus to capture a dragon to make his own, he fails. Miserably. But before he can leave in defeat, he is offered a riderless dragon in return for completing a mission. Simple, right? But the mission is anything but, and Markus finds himself wrapped up in intrigue, lies, and maybe even love.
This was a fun read at times, but at other times, I was a little confused by the plot. I loved the unique names that the characters got, and the whole idea behind the book was captivating, just not brought out enough in the short 180 pages of this book. The ending did leave the reader on a cliff-hanger, meaning that there is room for a sequel, but I don’t think I will be reading it if it does come out. This story was not developed enough to draw me in fully.
For anyone who loves How to Train Your Dragon and other dragon-focused books, definitely check this one out! It just wasn’t for me.
Thank you Yggdrasil Press for an ebook version of this book in exchange for a review! All thoughts here are my own.
This was a fun read at times, but at other times, I was a little confused by the plot. I loved the unique names that the characters got, and the whole idea behind the book was captivating, just not brought out enough in the short 180 pages of this book. The ending did leave the reader on a cliff-hanger, meaning that there is room for a sequel, but I don’t think I will be reading it if it does come out. This story was not developed enough to draw me in fully.
For anyone who loves How to Train Your Dragon and other dragon-focused books, definitely check this one out! It just wasn’t for me.
Thank you Yggdrasil Press for an ebook version of this book in exchange for a review! All thoughts here are my own.
eastofreality's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jashanac's review against another edition
I mean I kind of thought the premise indicated it might be ridiculous, and it wasn't even that it was ridiculous but I just was not vibing with the writing. I freaking love Fast & the Furious though!!!!
amyashby's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Thank you to Netgalley for sending an e-ARC of Dragon Den.
This little novella sounded so cool! Fast & Furious meets Fourth Wing. Unfortunately, Dragon Den fell very flat for me. I didn't find myself connecting to any of the characters and I wasn't finding myself interested in any of the plot points and I felt as if I was being dumped into different locations; the plot points didn't flow into one another. I feel like the idea was amazing, but the execution was subpar.
This little novella sounded so cool! Fast & Furious meets Fourth Wing. Unfortunately, Dragon Den fell very flat for me. I didn't find myself connecting to any of the characters and I wasn't finding myself interested in any of the plot points and I felt as if I was being dumped into different locations; the plot points didn't flow into one another. I feel like the idea was amazing, but the execution was subpar.
annettesbookbanter's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
2.5 Stars
Let me start with the positives. The dragons were done well and I enjoyed the telepathic type connection with their riders. I thought that the collars and how they worked were interesting.
If you love The Fast And The Furious movie and thought it would be cool with dragons instead of cars than you might enjoy this. When I read the synopsis I was anticipating to notice some influence from that movie as well as Fourth Wing and How To Train Your Dragon (HTTYD), since it had mentioned that this was for fans of them. However the storyline basically mirrored that of the storyline from the first Fast & Furious (F&F) movie, with a few noticeable influences from HTTYD. There wasn't a lot of character development which also made it difficult to really become invested in their story. The romance was very quick, partly I think due to where the story starts off, but it still felt relatively authentic. However it too followed the same path as the MMC from F&F and his love interest. I also felt that the world building was lacking and the book relied too heavily on the fact that this was set in a future version of our world.
I received this as an arc and am not sure if the fact that the version I received, being only 180 pages instead of the 310 pages that is stated in Goodreads, means that I received and earlier edit of the book.
Thank you to Booksirens for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Let me start with the positives. The dragons were done well and I enjoyed the telepathic type connection with their riders. I thought that the collars and how they worked were interesting.
If you love The Fast And The Furious movie and thought it would be cool with dragons instead of cars than you might enjoy this. When I read the synopsis I was anticipating to notice some influence from that movie as well as Fourth Wing and How To Train Your Dragon (HTTYD), since it had mentioned that this was for fans of them. However the storyline basically mirrored that of the storyline from the first Fast & Furious (F&F) movie, with a few noticeable influences from HTTYD. There wasn't a lot of character development which also made it difficult to really become invested in their story. The romance was very quick, partly I think due to where the story starts off, but it still felt relatively authentic. However it too followed the same path as the MMC from F&F and his love interest. I also felt that the world building was lacking and the book relied too heavily on the fact that this was set in a future version of our world.
I received this as an arc and am not sure if the fact that the version I received, being only 180 pages instead of the 310 pages that is stated in Goodreads, means that I received and earlier edit of the book.
Thank you to Booksirens for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.
toastyghosty13's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I got this as an ARC from NetGalley.
I really wanted to enjoy this book based on the premise that it is How to Train Your Dragon mixed with Fourth Wing. I do not feel like it properly lived up to that hype, and I wish it did. I think at a base level the idea was there, but that it almost went too quick to properly form an attachment to any of the characters. I think the idea of post modern dragon air force is cool, but there was not enough meaningful world building to really get me hooked.
The book takes place in/around Seattle, WA and the characters go to a school for dragon riding similar to Basgiath in Fourth Wing. The main character Markus has failed to "break a dragon" and must pack his bags and leave until one of his superior officers offers him the chance for redemption: to use a dragon whose rider was recently murdered and catch whoever has been hijacking the obsidian shipments.
This book was supposedly 180 pages, but I think it was more like 360 since it def felt longer. Ironically, I think it could have used more world building and probably less of the small things like being in class that don't matter as much. There were some cool aspects like gong to Amira's family dinner to talk to her mobster dad that I wish were explored more if Markus was supposed to be a double agent. Instead, we got capture the flag and other games that I feel like did not add much value for the worldbuilding or for creating attachments to the side characters. There was even a romance that I felt was a bit rushed, from classmates to full on banging.
The book ends in a way that sets it up for a sequel. I think that the concept is there and could be another great dragon read, but it definitely needs a bit of work.
I really wanted to enjoy this book based on the premise that it is How to Train Your Dragon mixed with Fourth Wing. I do not feel like it properly lived up to that hype, and I wish it did. I think at a base level the idea was there, but that it almost went too quick to properly form an attachment to any of the characters. I think the idea of post modern dragon air force is cool, but there was not enough meaningful world building to really get me hooked.
The book takes place in/around Seattle, WA and the characters go to a school for dragon riding similar to Basgiath in Fourth Wing. The main character Markus has failed to "break a dragon" and must pack his bags and leave until one of his superior officers offers him the chance for redemption: to use a dragon whose rider was recently murdered and catch whoever has been hijacking the obsidian shipments.
This book was supposedly 180 pages, but I think it was more like 360 since it def felt longer. Ironically, I think it could have used more world building and probably less of the small things like being in class that don't matter as much. There were some cool aspects like
The book ends in a way that sets it up for a sequel. I think that the concept is there and could be another great dragon read, but it definitely needs a bit of work.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
caitlinromanelli's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5