Tag: dragon riders

Review: A Dragon Inside: Morntag Dragons & Kingdoms Book 1 by Anabelle Raven 

Rating: 3⭐️

This book was a recommendation so I picked it up to see what I would find. A Dragon Inside is a sweet, unsurprising fantasy novel that includes dragons, dragon riders, princesses and kingdoms in peril. But adds little to the already overwhelming world of books written about this genre. 

It’s the first book in a series but wrapped up the first storyline and romance pretty well by the end of the novel. King realizes he has traitor close to him, his sister, the princess helps save the day,  by rescuing the dragonrider.  Who ends up with the princess. 

King also looks to have a HEA too. 

There’s a weird magic aspect that unexpectedly occurs towards the end that doesn’t make sense and has no foundation whatsoever laid out for it. 

Perhaps it’s coming in the future books. 

Some readers might excuse this by saying that the story is meant for YA but all writing, no matter what age the author is aiming for, should have depth in the characters, layers to the world building and intricacies of plot. None of which happens here. 

The characters should be entirely believable or engaging enough for the reader to invest their time and emotions. 

For me, I thought this was just a simple, sweet, and uncomplicated plot that didn’t ask much of the reader. 

If that’s something that you’re looking for, here’s a book and series for you. 

This author imo does not compare with KM Shea who was mentioned in the description. Not even close. 

Cover art is by Turtle Trails Publishing. Interior art (part two) is by Legowo P. Interior art (after Chapter 31) is by Sidney Brady. 

Morntag Dragons & Kingdoms:

A Dragon Inside #1

A Dragon Outside #2 – Sept 30, 2025

Buy link

        A Dragon Inside: Morntag Dragons & Kingdoms Book 1

    

Blurb 

She is a princess. He is chained in the dungeon. They don’t trust each other, but they are Solvar’s only hope for escaping war.

Ellie

When I discovered that my brother imprisoned a dragon rider, I plunged head-first into a whirlwind of political drama, mysterious history, magic, and an alluring prisoner.

Now the secrets I uncovered keep growing deeper. I wanted to save my people from war, but that was only the beginning. My brother and our inheritance complicated everything, and I must find new ways to deal with rebellions, assassinations, and an attraction to an impossible prisoner.

Deryk

I expected to die, but everything changed when the fearless princess swept into my prison cell. Now I must choose between loyalty to my family and dragon or a dangerous trust to an unnerving princess.

  • Publisher: Turtle Trails Publishing LLC
  • Accessibility: Learn more
  • Publication date: July 2, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 440 pages
  • Book 1 of 2: Morntag Dragons & Kingdoms

Review: Reckless (Luckless Book 3) by Cari Z

Rating: 4.75🌈

“Evan Luck was a dragon rider with no dragon. Now he’s got Lee, a rare and powerful dragon who can take the shape of a man or a dragon with equal ease. However, the fight to keep Lee’s son Jason safe, as well as the city of Forge protected from the monsters that roam the Front Range, will test Evan and Lee’s bond to the utmost, and send them on a quest that they might not come back from.”

Reckless is the finale story for Cari Z’s tremendous urban fantasy series, Luckless. And it’s been so great and so well written, that it’s short length and imaginative elements that have been left unexplored just make me more than a little frustrated with the author. 

I want this to double in length or at the very least offer additional stories in the series.

This novel picks up from the surprising events of Dauntless, where Jason’s crisis came to a dramatic resolution with new characters arriving from the city of Chicago with devastating news. 

Chicago has been spoken of as a veritable fortress city of multiple dragon pairs and a successful defense against the monsters. But the news brings a different reality.

It’s one that necessitates Evan and Lee leaving Forge and their son in search of answers about the increasingly complex and deadly monsters their city is facing and what happened in Chicago.

For a short story, this packs a shocking emotional punch. It’s got unexpected elements and a very powerful plot twist that, of course, is so great that this book could be twice it’s length and still not dive into this plot line’s full potential. It’s that intriguing.

Which brings me to the conclusion. It’s satisfying in a way yet not. With all the traumatic events that’s happened, it’s felt simplistic. Lovely, HFN, and heartfelt but missing something. 

I truly wish Cari Z would revisit this series and universe and give it and us an update. So tremendous a world that this series and the characters deserve it. 

Highly recommended! 

Cover Art by Vivid Covers

Luckless series:

Luckless #1

Dauntless #2

Reckless #3

Buy link

        Reckless: Book Three in the Luckless Series

    

Blurb 

Refugees have been streaming into the city of Forge from around the country. Monsters are coming down from the mountains and staking out new hunting grounds. Even as the dragons of Forge grow stronger and more numerous, the challenges they and their riders are facing are only increasing, and there’s only one place to look for answers.

Chicago is the strongest remaining city in the Midwest, home to thousands of people and protected by powerful dragons … or at least, it was. By the time Evan Luck and his dragon, Ladon, arrive there, it’s clear that something’s gone terribly wrong. People are starving, dragons are dying, and nobody knows who’s behind it all.

It’s something they’ve never faced before—something they thought didn’t exist, yet that’s terrifyingly familiar. It’s up to Evan and Ladon to stop it … or lose their city, their son, and their lives.

  • Publication date: April 26, 2022
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 124 pages