Raptoriva

by Victoria Rivera

In a world where humans and dinosaurs coexist, seventeen-year-old Qora must enter a competition to seek a prize hidden among deadly beasts, in hopes of winning and saving her family. Among her competitors is a disinherited prince in disguise who aims to restore the honor he's lost. When they're forced to work together against common enemies, they'll find the jungle—and their growing feelings for each other—to be more than they bargained for.

A young adult fantasy adventure with romance. Perfect for fans of Powerless, The Hunger Games, and the Jurassic Park franchise.

Genres: Dinosaurs, Fantasy, Young Adult

486 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2025

Reviews

[Willow Eloise · Rating 4 out of 5]

imagine the hunger games but with dinosaurs. romance happens quicker than the hunger games and you need a surprising amount of dinosaur knowledge, but a fun read and I'll definitely be reading the next 2

[Hannah Deakin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible read!! A must for any dinosaur fans! When finishing this I wanted to read straight from the start again! There aren't enough good dinosaur fantasy books out there and this fills the space! Amazing writing, Victoria Rivera out does herself! I would give 10 stars if possible!

[Bri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this and can't wait to start book two! Qora and Ninan were awesome characters to follow and I loved their story together but also the paths they had to take. The action scenes were great and I really like the world building and the take that Rivera did with this idea of humans living with dinosaurs. It definitely isn't what I expected and that was a good thing! If anything I wish there had been more dinosaur interactions and I wanted to see more day to day life of citizens with the dinosaurs. I enjoyed the mystical properties of dinosaur organs and the way that we as the reader got to learn about the world plus the add-ons of the folk lore? Fantastic! I was a sucker for those tales and how they tied in. This book was a great birthday present.

If it wasn't for my next book being required for book club I would be starting book two ASAP!!

[Sav’s Sea Shelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this was so much fun!

[Kristen (belles_bookshelves) · Rating 2 out of 5]

"We grow brave because we simply don't have the option not to."

TikTok recommends me some strange books, but "Hunger Games with dinosaurs" has been one of the strangest.

[Carlijn (OnlyCarlijn) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dit boek is echt een The Hunger Games x Jurassic Park.

Ik kwam het boek tegen op TikTok en wist meteen dat ik dit wilde gaan lezen, maar oprecht… het boek heeft me zo erg verbaasd! De schrijfstijl is heel goed, the world building geweldig, van de karakters ben ik gaan houden en natuurlijk de dinosaurussen 🦕

Qora en Ninan hebben echt een speciaal plekje in m’n hart gekregen. Deze soort “hongerspelen” duurt bij elkaar een aantal weken, maar ik vond het verhaal absoluut niet langdradig. Alles bij elkaar zorgde ervoor dat ik door wilde lezen. En er was voor mijn gevoel geen saai moment.

Op het einde ook nog een plot twist die ik niet zag aankomen (uiteraard), en die zorgde nog voor wat extra spanning in “the final battle”.

Ook vond ik dat de Dinosaurussen heel mooi naar voor kwamen in het verhaal. Je merkt echt dat mens en dier samen leeft. Ze voelen niet aan als side characters voor het plot, maar er worden ook dingen verteld over hoe ze leven, het gedrag en uiterlijke kenmerken. Bijvoorbeeld; ze eten de eieren van compys, en die lopen gewoon rond in het dorp. Sommige Dino‘s worden gebruikt als trekpaarden of vervoermiddel etc.

Dit boek is echt iets waar ik al heel lang naar op zoek was en ik kan het verhaal iedereen aanraden om te lezen!!

Nu moet ik heel snel deel twee en drie op gaan pakken🥰


In het kort:
Om haar familie te redden, moet Qora deelnemen aan een dodelijke wedstrijd. In deze hongerspelenachtige strijd moet ze een prijs bemachtigen die zich ergens in de jungle tussen de dinosaurussen bevindt.

Maar de dinosaurussen zijn niet het enige waar Qora rekening mee moet houden, want haar meedogenloze tegenstanders hebben allemaal hun eigen redenen om mee te doen en zijn niet van plan te verliezen.

Wanneer ze Ninan tegenkomt, de onterfde prins die zijn eer probeert te herstellen door in vermomming mee te doen aan de wedstrijd, staan ze voor een keuze: samenwerken of niet.

[Codaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing read! Deadly trials, dinosaurs, slow burn romance, oppressive ruler, fast-paced action. What else could you want?
The story takes place in a world where mammals are a precious commodity and the dinosaurs rule. Compys in the backyard for egg collection, mochlodons as single-rider mounts, pterodactyls flying people and things over long distances. Even raptors can be tamed and ridden if you are up for a challenge.
Qora has faced more hardships than a girl at 17 should ever be expected to endure. Her undying love for her family and their survival ultimately leads her to participating in The Venture, a deadly trial offering wealth and fame to the best of the best.
I would recommend this book to anyone that loves The Hunger Games and anything Dino-related!
This has become one of my favorite books of all time and I am insanely excited for the next one!

[Diego Balasquide · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raptoriva is one of the most immersive and compelling fantasy books I've ever read.

Victoria Rivera is a masterful writer with a real talent for lore and character development. It's very rare that I truly get sucked into a novel and find that hours go by without me looking up from my book, but it happened here quite a few times.

The story is extremely well-told, balancing heavy, intense action with thoughtful character work and a compelling romance arc between our two leads. I found myself holding my breath for Qora and Ninan quite a few times and by the end, I didn't want the story to be over.

Overall, Raptoriva is a beautiful mix of harrowing action, rich characters, and a story that leaves you wanting more by the last page. It's exactly the kind of dinosaur action adventure we desperately need more of today.

[Amanda Bulechowsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so great! I had a hard time getting into it at first because there are a lot of unfamiliar words (I don't know much about dinosaurs). It didn't take long to get used to it, and I'm so glad I did - the story is excellent, the characters are the kind you are rooting for, and I am super excited to read the next installment.

[L. Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. A fantasy setting with dinosaurs and a competition that will have you turning the pages to find out what happens next.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Jurassic Park or The Hunger Games.

[Brittanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dinos, Adventure and Slow Burn!

What more do you need in a book?!? Loved the story, it sucked me in pretty quickly. I felt like some scenes could have been a bit clearer when the action was happening. However I was still able to follow along. I’m really looking forward to the next one. I usually don’t read books until all of them are out but I couldn’t help it on this one. So kudos to you!!

[Tiffany P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! I loved how the dinosaurs added so much action and excitement to the story. It is somewhat like Hunger Games, but with less technology and more teeth, lol. The writing and descriptions were done very well. Also loved the excerpts from folk lore and scientific descriptions that were added. I am looking forward to the sequel! However, I am hoping for more romantic development in the next book 🤞

[Valeria P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely thrilling.

[Shea Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story a lot! I liked Qora and Ninan interactions and the paths they took together and separately. I liked seeing them grow together and the push and pull they have when it comes to personality. I loved the fighting scenes as they were detailed but not over the top detailed where it could become uncomfortable. The dinosaurs were well written and had a great design to them as well.
My only complaint I have is I wish there was a little bit more dinosaur interaction. We had a good amount but there was a lot more about the humans. I wish we could have seen more interaction between these creatures and the humans. We've been hinted that they coexist such as using them for riding and such but not too much more. I wish we could have just had more of that.
other then that I thought it was a wonderful read and a great concept. It kept me interested and engaged the entire time.

[Sav Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! It brings dinosaurs to life in a way that allows the reader to understand what it would be like to live alongside them. The high stakes of the Venture and the tension between the characters elevate the storytelling to a whole new level. Unlike many stories that have a basis in euro centric culture, the world building in Raptoriva is heavily Meso/South American inspired. The names, the practices, the clothing, etc. It is very refreshing and gives the reader something different than most books today.

[Kayla Lovell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got recommended this book by Derek Borne cause I wanted more Dino books and I'm so glad I did I loved every minute of it 🦕

I will 100% recommend it 😍

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was basically The Hunger Games with dinosaurs… except somehow the dinosaurs felt like an afterthought. So much potential with the premise, but the author just name dropped a bunch of different dinosaurs with only a few being described. She has the dinosaurs being tamed to plow fields or be rode like horses…silly.

The romantic subplot was completely unnecessary. There was no chemistry between the characters at all. It felt forced and took away from the already thin plot. Honestly, I should have DNF’d it but I was being stubborn.

[Rebecca Goulty · Rating 5 out of 5]

HUNGER GAMES AND JURASSIC PARK

I LOVED THIS!

It's such a brilliantly written and vividly described story with excellent world building. I'm already making references from both JP and HG (whether they're intentional or not) but as someone who loves both this has been a fun read. I can't wait to read the 2nd book!

[Derek Borne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jurassic Park & Dinotopia meets Hunger Games.
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This dino-themed adventure romantasy is exactly what I needed! The characters of Qora and Ninan had great banter and epic scenes, and Rivera's world worldbuilding and lore definitely gave me similar vibes to Dinotopia.
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Content: PG-13 for violence and some bloody scenes.

[Tori Panzenhagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Interesting characters. Gave off hunger games vibes but with dinosaurs!

[Chy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hunger games with dinosaurs.

[Danielle Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was pretty fun. There were lots of dinosaurs and daring feats, quora and ninan, where fun characters