The Emerald Rider

The Dragoneers Saga #4

by M.R. Mathias

ASIN B00CLI2XB8 moved to the most recent edition

In the wake of the Confliction, the Mainland Frontier is trying to reestablish itself. Over a year has passed since their victory over the alien shape shifter and its vicious Sarax. Jenka was infused with powerful Dour magic and has assumed some of the alien's intelligence, but immediately after the battle he disappeared with Crimzon, and no one knows when, or if, they will ever return. With little help from King Richard, who is intent to rule the islands and leave his side of the wall to its fate, Queen Zahrellion, and the other Dragoneers are struggling to make sense of their place in the world, while unbeknownst to them an evil witch is plotting terrible mayhem. Jenka, saturated with magic to the point of near insanity, will have to focus just to stay in the world of the living. A deranged wizard, who pits magicked priests against the demons he summons, has Clover's petrified form and no intention of giving it up. Jenka gave his word to get her back and must go alone, deep into the wizard's temple to find her. Valiant escapades, wicked battles, and heart wrenching loss await readers in this fourth installment of the bestselling Dragoneer Saga. Hold onto your dragon!

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons

343 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 29, 2013

About the author

M. R. Mathias is a member of the Authors Guild who cares for his wife, a Breast Cancer Warrior who has Parkinson's. After raising two boys into fine young men, they and two dogs split their time between a modest smalltown home, and an apartment built on a floating dock on Lake Ultura (aka Lake Texoma) which foots into an amazing State Park brimming with all sorts of wildlife. Like the wizards of old, he tends to the animals who share the area and inspire the creatures in his works. He likes to fish, write, play guitar, and he builds all sorts of things out of reclaimed wood. He sold over two million eBooks most of them before eBooks were cool. His work is critically acclaimed, and has earned multiple literary awards, including a coveted Locus Poll nomination.

**Featured in the March 2020, Publisher's Weekly article, "As Luck Would Have It"

"The Master of Epic Fantasy" - Kindle Nation Daily, Nov. 2017

Mathias has authored several fantasy series and compiled an admirable list of accolades along the way.

--Devious Arcana, (ongoing)

--The Wardstone Trilogy (3 Books)

-- Perpetual Fantastica Fantastica (4 Books)

--The Dragoneer Saga (6 Books)

--The Legend of Vanx Malic (10 Books)

--The Crimzon and Clover Short Story Series (8 Books)

--Master Zarvin's Adventures (3 Books)

--Dragon Racers (3 books)

If you are a Kindle Unlimited user, treat yourself to some of the best "hidden gem" fantasy ever written.

Find M. R. Mathias online: mrmathiasbooks .com

Here is what others are saying about M. R. Mathias:

"There are few writers in the genre of fantasy that can equal the creative mind of M.R. Mathias - now acknowledged as a master in this genre of dragons and dwarves, and magic, and spells, and all aspects of fantasy."-- Top 100, Hall of Fame, Vine Voice, Book Reviewer, Grady Harp

"M.R. Mathias imagines a setting that will entice readers and lead them, along with his characters, on a breathtaking adventure." -- Readers Favorite Book Awards review of M. R. Mathias's 2017 Award Winning novel "A Gossamer Lens" from The Legend of Vanx Malic series

"M.R. Mathias is a master at world building and is so good with creative descriptions that you can almost feel the wind whipping through your hair as you soar along on the back of a dragon." -- Readers Favorite Awards review of M. R. Mathias's 2015 "Gold Medal" Award Winning novel "Blood and Royalty" from The Dragoneer Saga"

"You've (Mathias) already achieved much, much more than so many people who like to think of themselves as writers." -- @Gollancz The Deputy Publishing Director of SF, Fantasy & Horror list of the Orion Publishing Group, 2013

Reviews

[Samyuktha Ell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the only book I have read in the series. I enjoyed what I read though.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragoneer Book 4

The Kingdom is recovering from the Confliction and the Dragoneers are leading the effort when a coven of witches try to usurp control. Meanwhile, Jenka is on a quest to bring a hero back to life.

Some of the abilities the Dragoneers have should make things more in their favor, especially once a legend joins their ranks. I am not surprised that their ex-member King Richard is involved in their newest troubles. I suppose they would just get bored without him causing problems.

[Vidya-Book Driven Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenka and his dragon Jade leave the palace in search of Crimzon's bond-mate Clover. Meanwhile, Jenka's lover, Zahrellion, give birth to their child, and also now Queen Regent. There were uprising of witches in her region and the witches are trying to get her son. Her friends leave her in search of Jenka, when in need. And Jenka has no success with Clover either, for he is now entrapped along with her. Things get more and more interesting and the adrenaline is on the high.

This was so easy to read. I have not read the first three books in the series, but I was able to catch up on pretty much everything because this is another new adventure, not just a continuation of some drama. The writing and editing was great. Readers will fall right into the story and can't miss any of the magic and action.

I adored all the main characters in the book, of course, those who are in the good side. Jenka, Rikky, March, Zah and Aikira, along with their dragons, are very well characterised and they are all mature in their own ways. While this book gives a very interesting read, it's not a happy ending for all of them. There are a few losses, but that cannot be avoided in a battle. The magic and dragons, although have the usual theme, like sharing bonds and speaking through minds, I still loved it.

There is a additional story in the end about Clover and her dragon, Crimzon. It was nice to read about Crimzon's first encounter with Clover.

Thanks for such an engaging read!

[Mark Ruffell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been waiting for this book ever since I’ve finished The Confliction. The third book was kind of lukewarm to me, and not as kick-a** as the previous installments. I also didn’t like how it ended. But, boy, M.R. Mathias did it again in the Emerald Rider! The battles were exhilarating. You will once again find your favorite heroes and heroine covered in blood and welding a sword. Add magic, aliens and dragons and you have a total havoc. Mathias created a wonderful blend of action and great characterization. His prose was effective and was able to release an evocative significance in the whole draconian world. Every character is well thought of; each giving you a sense of familiarity – it’s like you’ve known them from long ago. You will get emotionally involved to them and, alas! He will claw at your heart and tear a big hole. In Mathias’ books, the dragons play a central role in the story. He was able to foster complex relationships between humans and dragons. His rare series successfully depicts well-drawn, convincing dragon characters with their own personalities. If you haven’t yet picked any book by Mathias, I suggest you start with The First Dragoneer. It’s the prequel to the Royal Dragoneers.

[Elizabeth Ehlen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Emerald Rider wraps up the Dragoneer Saga in a book four filled with epic battles, magic, quests and that unfathomable bond between dragon and rider. There is also bonus content for a prequel/origin series about the first Dragoneer, Clover, and her dragon, Crimzon, which was a great teaser, especially since The Emerald Rider addresses the fate of Clover during Jenka’s quest. While it is overall a happy ending, you should not expect each individual character you have met previously to enjoy a happy ending, as I found a lot of relatable and sympathetic characters did meet a grisly end.

While I have not read the previous Dragoneer books, it was easy to get wrapped up in the story and understand a lot of the history detailed in the series without completely retelling it. I enjoyed the relationships that were built and even appreciated that there was loss of some of them during the battles, because there is no war without casualties. The bond between dragons and riders was fascinating to me, and I really enjoyed reading about their communication in “the ethereal” particularly. This was a well written fantasy novel and I look forward to the Crimzon and Clover origin story as well.

[Marion Benley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun is not the best term to describe this book because it is many things. Although I understand its appeal to young adults, there's also a lot about this book that will cater much to more mature readers. It is action-packed, just like most of Mathias' writing. With The Emerald Rider, Book Four of the Dragoneer Saga, I feel like M.R. Mathias took his writing ability one step further. He have worked his fantasy elements fluidly and effectively, which is a tough job, in my honest opinion. The story didn't lose its sense of realism and I congratulate him for that. My father is one of my greatest influence in reading fantasy genre, specifically dragon-related fiction. He's a big fan of Robin Hobb, E.E. Knight and Terry Pratchett, to name a few. M.R. Mathias continued and strengthened my fascination with dragons. There's a lot of dragon books out there, but unfortunately, not a lot has a strong plot. You will find a mix of traditional fantasy hordes in here: trolls, goblins, orcs, druids and more. Jenka is a strong character, an easy pick for a favorite. If not for the little rushed pacing, I would have enjoyed this more.

[Stanely Redding · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first two books were good, the third book was better and this book is the best. I was glad to see Jenka and Zah create a family. They deserve happiness. At the end of book three Jenka flies off with the big red dragon Crimzon and wondered why. He has agreed to free Clover who is Crimzon’s rider. She has been trapped by some crazy zealots who think that because she can ride dragons she can turn into one. They have her imprisoned in stone guarded by a demon. Jenka gets careless (what’s new) and also gets imprisoned in stone. They eventually get free and Clover ages all the years she has been imprisoned at once. She must try to reverse it so she leaves.

In the meantime Zah has her hands full fighting off plots to kidnap her and Jenka’s son Jericho. One of the plots succeeds and he is kidnapped by the evil witches. King Richard has thrown in with them and it becomes all-out war. The battle is not going well for the Dragoneers but Jenka arrives in time to help defeat them. Richard is not killed so maybe we will have another book. It had a nice epilogue with Jenka’s family so it wouldn’t be horrible if this was the last book.

[Glenn H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenka is a boy wonder that has turned into a man in this book. He has been infused with strange alien powers (book 3) and is just getting the hang of using them. He also has sired a son with Zah (now Queen Zahrellion). He is unaware of that little fact for a good portion of the book.

Richard has turned to Ankha Vira and her cadre of evil witches to help overthrow Zah and reclaim his kingdom. Ankha Vira has her own agenda though. She seeks Jericho (the son of Jenka and Zah) to become a sacrifice for her quest of immortality. The book moves between Jenka’s quest to free the imprisoned Clover and Zah’s quest to protect and then save her son when she fails to protect him.

This book moves fast and is ever-changing. Jenka has matured and is not as reckless. He has been infused with power but is scared to use it. With the help of Clover he begins to use it. The final battle is a worthy one. It is written very well. I liked the epilogue of showing the future of all the characters. It added a nice touch to the book.

[Mario E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far this series has taken me on a great ride. This book is so good. It goes deeper into the mindset of Jenka and we have a whole other storyline featuring Zah. She has become a queen and must fight the newly evil King Richard and his witch Ankha Vira. The witch wants Jericho (Zah’s and Jenka’s son) for a sacrifice.

There are many subplots to the story. We see Rikky in a more prominent role. In the meantime Jenka is battling a cult of crazies that believe dragon riders can turn into actual dragons. He is caught by them while trying to free the imprisoned rider Clover at the behest of her dragon Crimzon. There is a great subplot featuring Crimzon and a sea monster.
In the last third of the book Jenka finally joins Zah and the other riders in the battle with King Richard and Ankha Vira. It is a huge battle and the evil forces are defeated. But King Richard is shown mercy by Jenka and runs away to lick his wounds. I believe this is a setup for the next book. At least I hope so. I enjoy reading these books a lot.

[Joe Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dragons are back and just as fierce as I remember from the first books. I love dragons and there are plenty of dragons in here. Crimzon has become my new favorite dragon. His battle with the giant squid was inspired and awesome. It was the best scene in the entire book. I was entranced with it. I thought it was the best scene in any of his books I have read.

Jenka and Jade are back and they are on a quest to help Crimzon free his rider Clover. She has been imprisoned in stone for years and Jenka has vowed to free her. He does succeed in that but discovers that she ages all at once. When she was imprisoned she was young but upon being released her body ages until she is an old women. It was pretty cool. On the other side Queen Zahrellion fights to save her and Jenka’s son Jericho. That is a cool story too.

This guy has a ton of ideas and he translates them well to books. I have read every book he has written and have never disliked any of them. I think The Emerald Rider is a good book that was enjoyable to read.

[Cyrus Trivin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had too many pieces to the story. He puts too many sub-plots in this book and they are never fully developed. To be honest he does this in every book I have read from him. I always like the main stories though so I keep coming back. It doesn’t stop me from wishing he would put more into developing the side stories and sub-plots. If he would do that his books would be even better. He has such great ideas but most never seem to get off the ground. I still enjoy his stories though.

Jenka has matured in this book and even has a son named Jericho. He doesn’t find about him until partway through the book though. Jenka and Jade must help Crimzon free his rider Clover. She has been imprisoned in stone. That part of the book is really cool. I preferred the Jenka scenes over Zahrellion’s scenes. They were more interesting. I liked how it ended with the king slinking off to lick his wounds. You just know he will be back to cause more problems. I can’t wait for the next installment in this series.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

One year passes since the triumph over the aliens, and the magical saga thrives on. Mathias is like a runaway train and the onslaught continues in this fourth addition to the acclaimed Dragoneer Saga. Our beloved rider, Jenka returns again with a vengeance and will leave readers breathless. If book lovers have been smart enough to indulge in the prior amazing installments, they have been lucky enough to witness Jenka's growth. He almost feels like family since we've been rooting him on and by his side the entire time. The aforementioned books don't have to be read in succession, but one may miss a significant point or reference which builds up to the dynamite finale. This serial has been consistent throughout and never fails to scare, thrill and excite. Mathias' excellent writing ability is a phenomenal trait to possess and without question fans of fantasy will hear about him and his work for years to come.

[Jason Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book could have used a little more action. The battles were a bit short and not very bloody as I’m used to seeing from Mathias. I did enjoy the plot though. We find out Jenka has a son and the king has turned bad. It has more twists and turns than a game of Twister©. I liked the character of Clover she was very neat. I hope she comes back in the next book. I suspect she will.

All of it was written in that typical Mathias style of moving from place to place every few pages. I like that but some of my friends hate it. It keeps the book interesting to me. We have a few new characters and sadly one of our old friends meets his end in this book. But he dies rather spectacularly. So that makes it a little easier to take. I would recommend reading all the dragon rider books in order but this can stand on its own. It is just better to have the background knowledge. It was easy to read and read fast.

[Trever Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zah or should I say Queen Zahrellion now really shines in this book. She has given birth to Jenka’s son Jericho and must take on King Richard and his evil witch Ankha Vira. Jenka doesn’t even know he has a son because he is on a mission to free Clover from her imprisonment in stone. I didn’t care a lot for Zah in the first books but now after reading this book she has become my favorite even over Jenka.

The witch Ankha Vira is a worthy adversary but King Richard just doesn’t pull off the evilness that well. I just don’t see him as being truly evil. Maybe he will redeem himself in future books. I thought the final battle was written exquisitely. The dragons and the dragoneers finally came into their own in this battle. They were not overmatched and really put the hurt on the witches.

I had fun reading this and thought the story was well crafted. This is another home run for M.R. Mathias.

[William Reich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a lot of coolness. There are witches, dragons, demons and sea monsters. That should get your attention. It got mine. I read the other dragoneer books and thought they were somewhat cool. They were not anything real special though. In this dragoneer book the author goes way out there. I was like “how did he think of this stuff”. That was way cool.

My favorite part has to be when Crimzon the big red dragon battles the kraken. It isn’t called the kraken in the book but that is what it is, a giant octopus that is a killing machine. It was so awesome. I never would have put a dragon and a giant octopus together in mortal combat. He pulled it off to. The battle was ferocious and detailed. The kraken was winning when Jenka’s dragon Jade joined the fight and still that didn’t work. They had to be rescued. That was one “bad” octopus.
I can’t wait to see what he thinks of for the next book. I am waiting impatiently for its arrival.

[Lori Dayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a continuation of The Royal Dragoneers series. In this book Jenka who has been endowed with dour magic must outwit a cult of dragon worshippers and free Clover another rider who is imprisoned (she is turned to stone). He gets caught in the same trap and must use dour magic to free them. In the meantime Zah is now queen and is trying to protect her and Jenka’s newborn son from the newly evil King Richard and his evil muse Ankha Vira.
It moves along really fast and the story is not boring at all. It is not overly long so you will not have to worry about that. I am pleased with the series as a whole and this book in particular. It has really advanced the story along. I can’t wait to see what is next for Jenka and Zah. I hope this story continues for a very long time.

[Mark Leves · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like to read about dragons this is for you. There are a lot of them and they are all well done. I am impressed with the level of details we are seeing in this book. It is more advanced than the first books in the Royal Dragoneers series. The author has obviously created a labor of love.

Jenka sets out to rescue Clover at the behest of her dragon Crimzon. He runs into all kinds of trouble. There is a strange cult that he must defeat in order to free Clover from her strange imprisonment. He must also outwit a demon who is guarding her. When they are finally free he discovers he has a son who has been kidnapped by an evil witch and the now evil King Richard. It doesn't get much better than this.

I did wish the story could be a bit longer but I am sure we will see more books on Jenka and Zah. The ending left it open for more.

[Javier Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book. You don’t need to have read the other ones in the series either. It can stand alone but it is better if you have read the other ones. This book is mostly about Jenka. The other riders are in here but it focuses more on Jenka. I liked that a lot. There was plenty of action and intrigue. The dragons were featured prominently. I love the dragons and their different personalities.

This book was a good fun book to read. If you liked the first books or even if you haven’t read them you should like this book. It was one of the better novels I have read from M.R. Mathias he is maturing into a really good author. His earlier works were fine but they were raw. As he has written more you can see the refinement and growth.

I really liked this book and the ending left it open for the next book. I am looking forward to it.

[Scott Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has taken a detour into crazy town. The aliens in book three and now a giant squid/octopus or something like that tries to eat the dragons Crimzon and Jade. I don't know about you but that is just a little too off the wall. The rest of the story is great. Jenka tries to save the day and eventually does. The main battle is fierce and the evil witch Ankha Vira is a fitting foe. Even though this is not a very long book I enjoyed most of it. It read fast just like the other dragoneer books and had good characters.

I believe there are more books that will follow because there are unanswered questions. I hope Zah and Jenka raise up a brood of new dragoneers. It will be interesting to see what happens next. I hope we see a return to more standard fantasy lines. I don't want my books going off into weird places with aliens and so forth.

[W. Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy that we got more of the Dragoneers. I wasn’t sure there would be after The Confliction (book three). When I saw this I did a little happy dance. Jenka and the other dragoneers are like family now. I feel like I know them.

In this book Jenka must free Clover from her demon imprisonment. But in the meantime Zah is fighting for their son’s life against King Richard and the evil witch Ankha Vira. I was surprised to see Richard turn to the dark side. Ankha Vira is a formidable enemy and almost succeeds in their plot to overthrow Zah. But the Dragoneers prevail and Richard goes off to lick his wounds. The epilogue was nice. I liked thinking of how they all went on and had families.

The way it ended left me thinking there will be another book. I hope so! I will be watching for the next book.

[Tanner Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a change that is. This book focused on Jenka and his quest to save Clover a dragoneer founder who has been turned to stone and later in the book his son. There is plenty of action and battles. The dragons are once again a big part of this book. I love how this author infuses the dragons with individual personalities. They are the best part if you ask me.

The book was fast paced most of the time and had a distinct rhythm. It moved between two separate storylines but it tied together well. I was saddened by the king’s defection to the side of evil but it made for some interesting twists.

The witches were a great addition. They were scary and evil. I have criticized Mathias in the past for not having his evil characters be evil enough. He changed in this book and made his evil characters truly evil. I was very happy to see that. I liked this book very much.

[Julie Baswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read The Wardstone Saga, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this saga runs along the same lines as that one. Although this is the fourth book in this saga, it is the first one that I have read. I enjoyed it enough that I’ll go back and read the first three books. Although I wasn’t lost in the story, I feel that I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the others first.

Mathias is very detail oriented, and writes so that you feel like you are in the thick of the battles. I really liked that the dragons had personalities very much like their human companions. With well-rounded characters, and fast, continuous action, it had me turning pages as fast as I could. But the true surprise was when a character’s ghost from the Wardstone Saga is spoken of. Since he was my favorite from that saga, I was thrilled.

[Thomas Drinkard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenka and Zah are back! They have a son that, for much of the book, his father doesn’t know.

Mathias has brought readers back into the world of the Dragoneers and their mighty flying steeds. He doesn’t leave out the bad guys. There are ogres, a giant squid and a particularly evil witch.

Jenka and Jade are on a mission to release Clover, one of the founding Dragoneers, from imprisonment. Her bond-mate dragon, Crimzon is leading the way.

There are battles that seem likely to shift the tectonic plates of the Dragoneer’s world. There is, again, powerful Dour Magic.

The story is told on parallel plot lines that merge with resounding finality.

No spoilers, here. Just get the book and settle back as you’re drawn into the world Mathias has created.

[Stephen Fraser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up hoping to find something that was similar to the Dragon Riders of Pern series that I loved as a teen. I was not expecting to find anything stellar. I was surprised at what I found. This book reads very quickly the scenes are descriptive enough that you can form a good picture in your mind. The characters are also wonderfully rounded out they the feel as if they could walk right up to you. The dialog flows nicely and fits with the characters. I got so engrossed in the book several times causing me to lose track of time. Having no prior knowledge of the series I found that I could jump right in (this being the fourth book) without it hurting the story or making it hard to read.

[Steve Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Jenka and his travels to free Clover from her imprisonment with many sub-plots that keep the book fairly fresh.
If you have read M.R. Mathias in the past and liked his books you should have no problem liking this one. It is not my favorite book of his but it is pretty good and a must read if you are into the dragoneer books. He has a way with dragons. They always are well done and I'm glad that he decided to continue the Dragoneers series.

[phyllis · Rating 3 out of 5]

No peace

Jenka was on a rescue mission to get Crimzon's rider who had been spelled to stone. The wizard Xaffer believe d that dragons could become human. If so, he wanted to reverse the casting and become a dragon. Upon entering the old abode of the wizard, Jenka found many different traps that slowed him down. Little does he know that his adventures are about to begin.

[Chrisann Lamb · Rating 1 out of 5]

not impressed. I had to skip a lot of fluff just to finish, and it took me over a month.