The Dragon Rider (The Alaris Chronicles #2)

FANTASY:  Bakari is the first dragon rider in centuries, but he can’t subdue the growing tensions amongst the different kingdoms of Alaris. He starts a quest to find more dragon riders, hoping to secure peace in the kingdom. Roland has control of the citadel and carefully plays both sides, but might find himself powerless to fight a deadly and hidden enemy. Alli Stenos, the last of the main characters, is struggling to end the violence plaguing Alaris. The three of them are powerful, but are they powerful enough to bring forth peace? 

“The Dragon Rider” is the second book in The Alaris Chronicles. For readers who haven’t read the first installment, it takes awhile to really dive into the story and sometimes readers might feel as if they’re missing some background information but overall, it’s easy to understand the plot and characters even without having read the first book. 

Reminiscent of “Game of Thrones”, "The Dragon Rider" is a less complicated version, more suitable for children. It  has treason, power struggles, flawed characters readers can root for, and extraordinary world building. The writing is excellent, although at times Bakari’s story was unevenly paced. Author Mike Shelton penned a solid young adult fantasy story with unexpected twists and turns! 

Majanka Verstraete