Rider of Dragons

by Aamna Qureshi

DRAGONS. RACING. ROMANCE.She wants to race dragonsGenevieve's family is dead set against her joining the deadly dragon races. But she won't let them stop her.

He's the trainer she doesn't want, but needsWithout her family's money, nobody will train her. Desperate for help, she agrees to a terrible Qais, an alleged member of a dragon poaching gang, will train her to win the races, if she agrees to give him her prize money.

Every race could be their lastThe dragon races aren't just about being the fastest. In these races, sabotage, attacks and all out violence aren't just allowed, they're encouraged. The devastatingly handsome Qais will teach her to be cunning and cruel, and Genevieve will be forced to answer a devastating to win, is she willing to lose everything?

THE FIRST PART OF A THRILLING NEW ROMANTASY DUOLOGY FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BABY DRAGON CAFE

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Romantasy, Romance, Adult, Audiobook, Fantasy Romance

426 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 1, 2026

About the author

Aamna Qureshi is a Pakistani, Muslim American who adores words. She is an award-winning and USA Today, Amazon, and Times bestselling author who grew up on Long Island, New York, in a very loud household, surrounded by English (for school), Urdu (for conversation), and Punjabi (for emotion). Much of her childhood was spent being grounded for reading past her bed-time, writing stories in the backs of her notebooks, and being scolded by teachers for passing chapters under the tables. Through her writing, she wishes to inspire a love for the beautiful country and rich culture that informed much of her identity.

When she's not writing, she loves to travel to new places where she can explore different cultures or to Pakistan where she can revitalize her roots. She also loves baking complicated desserts, drinking fancy teas and coffees, watching sappy rom-coms, and going for walks about the estate (her backyard). She currently lives in New York. Look for her on IG @aamna_qureshi and Twitter @aamnaqureshi_ and at her website aamnaqureshi.com.

Reviews

[sophie]

DNF 27%.

maybe it's just a me thing, but i couldn't get into this book at all. the world building is scarce, and the characters feel so one dimensional. i don’t understand their actions and motivations.

the fmc’s logic? it doesn’t exist. she claims to hate gangs and anything that sounds remotely illegal, but her plan is to win an illegal dragon race with no rules where people literally die? plus, she has never raced before, the first race is in a few weeks, and she suddenly remembers she needs to get a trainer? what?

nothing about this timeline or her motivation makes a lick of sense. literally, one day she's upset about taking so long to find a trainer, the next she sleeps in because she feels she deserves it, and the day after she’s stressed about taking the night off from training. make up your mind, girl.

even the family dynamics and relationships felt superficial.

the idea is definitely there, but the execution isn’t my favorite.

⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

[Luce · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

The biggest issue with Rider of Dragons is how this has been marketed for me. Calling it a 'dark' and 'thrilling' romantasy set me up with some very different expectations, and I think that mismatch is going to leave a lot of people disappointed. This is not the dark romantasy that I was expecting but rather a cosy, rainy afternoon read with a blanket and a cup of tea. Unfortunately for me, the tea was lukewarm.

One of the main problems was the lack of world-building. Even though the world itself is relatively simple, that doesn't excuse how underdeveloped it feels. If I need to rely on another series to fully understand the world, something has gone wrong and it doesn't push me to read her other series either.

The romance also didn't work for me at all. It felt rushed and underdeveloped, with very little build-up before suddenly jumping to 'horny teenagers' territory around the 70-80% mark that took me out of the story completely. The "you can't trust me" was overdone and didn't work when the red flags were that obvious.

And unfortunately, the romance is following a trend I've noticed A LOT lately. Book one introducing a love interest who clearly isn't endgame. I would love to be wrong but the signs are there. It's becoming predictable and frustrating and I'm getting bored with it.

The writing leans heavily into telling rather than showing which I loathe with romance development and probably why I didn't connect to the main couple at all.

I did enjoy the premise and the conflict with Genevieve's family was one of the stronger aspects of the story, although she was a bit too forgiving considering how little support she received from any of her family. And the women in this book felt a little too male-centric for me.

The championship element was fun as well, though it did become repetitive around the middle of the book.

The plot twist at the end was unfortunately, very predictable.

I would consider picking up book two...maybe? With tighter editing, some world-building and a stronger romance, this could easily be a four or even five star read. Otherwise, the marketing needs to shift to reflect what this book actually is... a cosy romantasy.

I was fortunate enough to receive a ALC from the publisher and I have to say, the narrator saved the book for me. As I said, if the goal was cosy and light she absolutely nailed it. I'm not sure I would have made it through the first 20% of this book without her.

I received an advanced listening and reading copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[zai · Rating 5 out of 5]

aamna when i catch you, HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME

[BookishKB]

🐉🔥 Rider of Dragons 🔥🐉

I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date. Honestly this was a 6 star read for me!!

🏁 What to Expect
• Dragon racing
• Forced proximity
• Trainer x trainee
• Deadly Competition
• Family opposition
_ _ _ _

🎧 Narration Style: Solo (Amelia March)
📅 Pub Date: August 27, 2026
📝 Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio, Harper 360, and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW VIA NETGALLEY-

4.3/5 stars from me for this one.
I really enjoyed the cosy vibes mixed with the brutal side of the racing. That ending as well😤🤯
I haven’t read any other books by Aamna but I believe this is set in the same world as her baby dragon books, and I’m glad it was still easy to follow the world building without reading them.
This is perfect for lovers of dragons, illegal racing and a couple of hot men as well! Genevieve was such a perfect main female character, I loved the strong feminist vibe she gave through out the book and her unapologetic nature as well which was refreshing to read!
Cannot wait for the next one to come out and excited to see what ginny and fang are up to next

[madi ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tropes: slow burn, enemies.. to friends to lovers

Thank you to NetGalley & Avon Books for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Genevieve, our FMC, is full of determination & perseverance. She is all the things I love in a strong and powerful FMC.

This story of illegal dragon racing raises the stakes from the traditional cozy feel of the previous Baby Dragon books. There’s high stakes, secrets, and Genevieve with her eye on the prize, the Dragon Riders’ Championship. This story does a great job at highlighting the struggle women go through in our current world when it comes to proving our worth vs. a man.

We have an MMC, Qais, who has an utterly tragic backstory, who becomes Genevieve’s trainer while she prepares for the race that her family are adamantly against.

Provider by Sleep Token was stuck in my head throughout the entirety of this book, and it sums Qais up perfectly. The romance is FULL of slow burning tension & yearning. But trust me. If steam is what you want, just you wait 🔥

The dragons are arguably my favorite part of this story, because nothing quite beats the bond between a rider and their dragon.

The ending… I have sobbed for 20 minutes straight trying to fathom waiting for book 2. Incredible. I truly have no words for how much I loved this book.

[Lotte (themagicalpageturner) · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Rider of Dragons we follow Genevieve, who grew up protected in a rich dragon family. Her family doesn't let her participate in the dragon races, as they are too dangerous. So when she decides to do just that, she looses everything. She knows very little about the races, so she needs to learn everything from the start, including being cruel and violent. And her trainer Qais is more then willing to teach her. The story takes place in the same world as The Baby Dragon Cafe.

Rider of Dragons unexpectedly blew me away. At first, I was irritated by Genevieves naivety, but when she developed during the story I came to like her. The story shows that with hard work and dedication, a lot is possible. 

The romance is a great addition and actually adds to the story and building of characters and plot. There is some spice but not that much and very decently written. 

The book is fast-paced, keeping you hooked to the story the whole time. And then the ending, it totally blew me away. I knew something was still in the shadows but I didnt expected this! (Or didn't wanted to). I need the second book... like yesterday! I am having a book hangover that needs to be fixed.

Its a true page turner so a well deserved 5⭐️
Release date: 27th of August 2026

Thank you to Netgalley and author A. T. Qureshi for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC. It's been a pleasure.

[Emily G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone know where I can get a dragon?

This was so much fun, I haven't had the pleasure of reading Qureshi's previous work but found this to be fast paced, fun and filled with action and adventure. There were plenty of cameos from the 'Baby Dragon' series but these were introduced in a way that didn't make you feel you were missing something if you haven't read those yet (like me).

Fang (Ginny's Dragon) was the highlight of the story for me, and watching him bond and grow alongside Ginny was a great adventure. There's enough dragon riding to do the title justice, and it's convinced me to pick up the baby dragon series!

One part I did struggle with was the love interest and think this one will definitely fall into the rapidly rising tamlin effect (first love interest is not endgame). However, I could be wrong? (I'm probably not) It's also definitely not a dark romantasy but an enjoyable mostly action-based cozy fantasy with a love interest and plenty of adventure.

[Abbi :)]

DNF 27%

This might have been more of a me thing, unfortunately, but I wasn't expecting this to go the way that it did. To me, this was definitely more of a cozy romantasy with some action scenes sprinkled it. I can totally see this working for those that love this kinda thing. It just didn't work for me.

What I did enjoy is the dragons. the amount of page time they got was fantastic and what mainly held my interest for as long as it did. What I didn't love was the low stakes feel to something that should have been high stakes with the stress of the races coming up which were shown to be quite violent. Our dmc also felt younger to me than 24 which I didn't love. I prefer a more mature fmc especially with what her age was. Her logic was a little off to me on certain things as well.

If you want an easy romantasy on the cozier side of things, I fully believe you will enjoy this!!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc!!

[hols_reads ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book by Aamna that absolutely slaps!

I devoured this book in 24hrs which is so unlike me 🤭

The story follows Ginny who just wants to race dragons! (i don’t blame her so do i) Her father is dead set against it but as Ginny’s brother was so successful, she doesn’t understand why her father won’t let her race. Determined to race anyway, Ginny finds herself a trainer and the rest happens from there 👀 It is set in the same world as the Baby Dragon Cafe which I loved so much so I was thrilled to be back in the same world 💖

The cliff hanger at the end had me sitting up in bed going “no, no, she isn’t actually writing this is she?! Oh shit she is” 🤣

Overall I really did enjoy this and I will be getting a physical trophy ✨

[Jenni Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy. I was really excited by the premise of Rider of Dragons, but unfortunately it just wasn’t the right book for me. I had a hard time getting invested in the story because the world-building felt pretty minimal, and I never got a strong sense of the setting or how everything fit together.

I also struggled with the FMC, whose actions and motivations often left me confused rather than intrigued. While the dragon-focused concept sounded promising, I ultimately couldn’t get into the book and decided to DNF. I’m sure it will find its audience, but it wasn’t a match for my reading tastes. 📚

[Danielle Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rider of Dragons follows titular rider FMC, Genevieve, and her pursuit to compete in and win the Dragon Riders’ Championship against her family’s wishes. Perfect for any Romantasy fan who has a penchant for dragons, Qureshi offers an easy-to-read Romantasy without the intense world-building - the qualifying races also offer a cheeky nod to real-world Formula one setups for any racing fans!

In moments the races do feel repetitive, but Qureshi does well in places to summarise where necessary, and differentiate and drive the plot forward in others. Often there are moments referred to retrospectively that have happened off the page, that may have added extra depth to the story if explored on the page.

Readers can look forward to favourite tropes including grumpy x sunshine, mentor-mentee and forced proximity.

The conclusion produces the main plot twist in Rider of Dragons, teeing up the forthcoming sequel in this duology. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Nichola Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was amazing!!!
I thought I was getting into a cosy fantasy series after reading AT Qureshis other books, what I got was fast paced, exciting and spicy!! I loved this book, loved the characters and adored Fang, the darkness of dragon thieves and the excitement of dragon racing - I cannot wait until August 2027 for the next part!

[Farah ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

this book had so much more potential. I saw that ending coming from a mile away. good thing I didn’t give into the live triangle, again saw where it was going but I think given the marker the book will do really well and I will still be reading the sequel because I enjoyed it and it was a fun time.

Thank you HarperCollins UK Audio | Avon for the ALC

[Heather Pacella · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Genevieve Sterling comes from a long and storied family of dragon riders; memories of her brother Danny winning the brutally violent Dragon Riders’ Championship when she was younger are some of the fondest of her childhood. When Danny dies in a tragic accident shortly after, she vows to become a racer herself and win the Championship in his honor.

Years later, Ginny now has a dragon of her own and is old enough to enroll as a rider. But her family refuses to support her dreams, forbidding her from entering the competition. Without her family’s backing, she is forced to take on the only trainer who will work with her: Qais Rahim, a mysterious man with ties to a dragon-stealing gang, who agrees to train her in exchange for the prize money if she wins. As her training becomes more demanding and the races become increasingly dangerous, Genevieve is forced to confront exactly how far she’ll go (and who she’s willing to lose) to win it all.

Rider of Dragons is the first in a new romantasy duology. My thoughts on various aspects of the book are given below.

*World-building/Plot: Rider of Dragons was set in the same location (with many of the same characters) as the author’s previous The Baby Dragons books. Because of that, the world-building was pretty minimal and glossed over. However, the world itself is fairly contemporary, so it wasn’t overly confusing (even though I haven’t read these works). The plot itself was also a little bit light - literally the entire book is focused on dragon racing, with minimal interaction or exploration with the larger community. Even the underlying tension between Genevieve and her family was fairly surface level. Though I thought it worthy to try to explore the “thinly-veiled misogyny disguised as protection” dynamic that is common in a lot of families, here it didn’t really contribute to the story except to give Genevieve a convenient excuse to disobey her family’s wishes. Some further time spent on this topic could have added a lot of depth to the story.

*Character Development: Unfortunately, the main character, Genevieve, didn’t really work for me. She was quite hypocritical - for example, she is vocal about how much she hates the gangs because they steal and traffic dragons (and kill them and sell their hides), but then she claims it is her life’s purpose to win the dragon races - the same illegal races that are run by the very gangs she looks down upon (and of course you know that exorbitant entry fee is probably going towards said dragon trafficking). She also seemed a bit elitist and privileged, giving the impression that she believes that only those who come from dragon riding families should have access to dragons, even while she wants to break these same families’ traditions and become the first female winner. Also, for all her “Girlboss” talk, she pretty much lets all of her problems be solved by the men in her life - she complains about being woken up early to train, she hates having to study the research already done by somebody else, and when her parents kick her out she immediately moves in with her trainer - who does all the cooking while she “sometimes does the dishes” and pays a pitiful amount of rent. Though the side characters were more compelling, especially Qais and Zaviyar, any hints of their personalities (or rich personal history) are overshadowed by their obsession with Ginny - which fell flat for me because I had a hard time finding her to be a compelling heroine.

*Pacing/Writing Style: The pacing was quick, but a large amount of the book was repetitive chapters of subsequent dragon races throughout the season, which made the book drag for large parts. The ending, while picking up on the action and upping the stakes, was also heavily hinted at throughout the book, so it felt both tonally jarring and not-at-all surprising. It felt like a lot of filler was added to stretch this out to a full book and end on a cliffhanger for the next installment (instead of condensing everything into a standalone story). Though the writing style complemented the fairly straightforward development of the plot, it felt a bit clumsy and juvenile at times. Though Genevieve was in her mid-twenties, she spoke (and acted) like she was a tween, so the sudden heavy spice and darker elements at the end of the book felt a bit shoehorned in.

Though this was marketed as a thrilling, action-packed read, I feel that this is a mischaracterization by the publisher. Overall, Rider of Dragons will probably most appeal to cozy fantasy readers who are looking for a quick, low-stakes read; this story would probably be most enjoyable for those who liked the author’s previous works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rider of Dragons by AT Qureshi follows Ginny and her dragon, Fang, as they train to compete in a high stakes racing series, where riders risk life and limb for the glory of winning the Dragon Rider's Championship crown.

Thank you to Avon for the advance copy I received through NetGalley for review!

Heads up, I'm going to try my best to only include minor spoilers, but I feel a few will be necessary to fully explain my review so I'm marking this review for spoilers!

The concept for this book felt so unique and fun! Following dragon riders through competition, not war, felt so refreshing. The characters still have a wonderful training arc, but without the gritty, dark cloud that seems to follow so many dragon fantasies.

If you are looking for a fun, spicy read with dragons, intrigue, and high stakes racing, you'll enjoy this read!

However, there were a few things that kept me from loving this book as much as I expected to after the first chapter.

Firstly, I did feel like a few of the name choices felt mismatched. Ginny Sterling and most of her family names felt a bit anachronistic to me - almost as if they don't belong in this fantasy world - especially not with other characters like Sapphira, Zaviyar, Qais, and Anwar in play. Dragon names like Fang also gave the book a younger feel to me.

In addition, the themes of sexism and patriarchal roles felt repetitive after the first several chapters. Ginny's father was absolutely insufferable, and the way the rest of her family seemed to absolutely kowtow to his wishes as head of the family felt at odds with Ginny's decision to train with Qais, a notorious gang leader's brother, and to live with him. While the author did try to start resolving that in the end, it fell flat in my opinion, and there would need to be a lot more relationship repair done within Ginny's family for me to be fully satisfied with the series. As it stands, that sort of blatant mysogynist attitude makes this world one I don't want to hang around and spend time in- there are enough chauvinistic attitudes to deal with in real life.

Both those things made this book feel closer to a YA novel than a true adult fantasy to me, especially when paired with the casual voice and short paragraph structure throughout the novel. However, there was a fair bit of open door spice towards the final third of the book, which precludes me from recommending it to the younger readers that might enjoy this more than me.

Finally, the romantic plot lines also felt very problematic to me. Despite the fact that Ginny was trying to make a name for herself as a strong woman and a fierce competitor, she enters the training relationship with Qais at a severely disadvantaged position. Their starting point felt less like forced proximity and closer to an incredibly unhealthy dynamic to me. Further, I had a hard time getting to know or like Qais, because every time I felt any shred of interest from Ginny towards him, it was immediately contrasted with Zaviyar, and never in his favor. Perhaps this will be remedied in book 2, but the cliffhanger ending left us solidly in the middle of a nasty, busted love triangle.

Overall, it's a solid plot that was extremely entertaining and fun to experience, and I did enjoy it as a guilty pleasure read. I think I will likely continue the series (I believe it will be a duology?) because I do think the issues I have with the world and the story plot points could be resolved by the end. It has the potential to be the setup for a favorite series. If you want a distraction or a quick escape into a completely unique fantasy world, this could be it!

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This pains me because I truly enjoyed the dragon races and thought the arch was overall well done. However this is overshadowed by the abysmal romance.

I didn't mind that it's a love triangle, but the fact that it wasn't well done at all. Ginny is horny for both Qais and Xavier (Zavier? I listened to the audiobook), even when she is already in love and says that she is. We get gems like "heat flickered down my spine" when she hears the second love interest is jealous of her boyfriend. Why is she getting horny over someone who is not the man she loves. Well, I do know why. It's painfully obvious he's going to be the endgame in book two. The fact I could tell 1/3 into the book is not good thooo.

There was no build up to the romance at all. Ginny is into Qais from the moment she met him and there was no tension to their relationship at all. That is why I liked Xavier better at first because the first two times they meet we get the gist of how they were almost friends as children but forbidden to be, and I thought that was cute and had potential. But noo, the guy was made out to be some womanizer, who Ginny slutshames constantly (including calling him a man whore), which is RICH coming from the horniest MC I ever had to read. Like she is horny all the time. Horny for two men at the same time!!! Horny from the guys simply talking to her, no not even dirty talk!

Xavier is clearly a rip-off from Xaden from Fourth Wing (their names even resemble), we even get the hair so beautiful it makes men speechless scene. Also the scene from the Cruel Prince where carden is kissed but can't take his eyes of Jude is reused here.

A rule to writing says: show don't tell. I personally don't mind it when an author tells sometimes, but when it came to the relationships, it was all tell, no show. And that's why it didn't work. There's no palpable chemestry between the characters because it's all tell, tell, tell.
This quote really shows that:
"His smoldering gaze snagged hers. His eyes very purposefully not dropping lower. She could see it took him a great effort to do so. Blood rushed in her ears. She wondered if he would give into this tension between them."
Don't TELL me there's tension between them, SHOW ME!!!

Also don't have the character who is going to betray the MC keep telling her not to trust anyone, even him. I knew he would betray her from the first time he mentioned it, but he kept on saying it. Also OO can we be done with the betrayal trope by the end of book 1 in a romantasy series. It is sooo overdone at this point.

At the end of the audiobook there was an QA and I found out this is a spin-off book to her cozy fantasy books set in the same world. This does explain why there is zero world building and I who haven't read the other books was left confused why this was a modern world with phones and such, but no female has ever won the dragon races. (So Ginny can be the first. I guess we're not over the MC having to be super special and not like other girls.) Also sometimes there was sexism, but not always. Like women can go to clubs, drink, and have sex, but they can't dragon race???
The world building seriously needs to be explained because I'm sure a lot of readers who haven't read her other books are going to read this one.

The audiobook narrator was bomb, no notes, you rock girlie. I love your voice and you were the reason I finished!

[ReadingMomma · Rating 4 out of 5]

⚠️ POSSIBLE SPOILERS ⚠️
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🌶️ 1/5
Rider of Dragons was such an interesting mix of dragon racing, political tension, betrayal, and slow burn romance 🐉✨
Genevieve “Ginny” comes from a powerful family heavily involved in dragon rider politics, still reeling from the loss of her older brother after he died on a rescue mission only months after winning the dragon racing championship. After losing his son, Ginny’s father refuses to support her dream of racing because he believes it’s far too dangerous for his daughter and wants to protect her… but it also becomes very clear that he believes dragon racing is simply too dangerous for women in general, especially since no woman has ever won the championship 😤
Because of that mindset, Ginny constantly has her dreams dismissed and every move controlled. Her father takes things to extreme lengths too — freezing her bank accounts, threatening to kick her out, and doing everything possible to stop her from racing even though she is 24 years old and perfectly capable of making her own choices. I spent so much of this book wanting to scream at her family to let the girl LIVE.
Determined to prove everyone wrong, Ginny starts secretly selling her jewelry and valuables to pay for training. The problem? Nobody wants to go against her father and help her… so she ends up venturing into gang territory looking for someone willing to take the risk 👀
Enter Qais 🫠
Qais agrees to train her for the prize money, but makes it VERY clear that if she loses or doesn’t hold up her end of the deal, he’ll slit her throat. You know… the perfect foundation for romance 💀
The tension between Ginny and Qais was honestly one of my favorite parts of this book. The secret training sessions, the forced proximity, the constant danger, the hidden identities… it all worked so well together. And THAT kiss after her brother catches them training?? The way she uses it to cover what they were actually doing while her brother assumes she’s just sneaking around with her “boyfriend”? Absolute perfection 😩
After her father eventually discovers the truth thanks to people who seriously needed to mind their own business, everything completely explodes in Ginny’s face. Following a rough night trying to process it all, she ends up staying with Qais while the two begin even more intense training for the upcoming races.
The races themselves kept getting deadlier as the story progressed, but watching Ginny slowly start holding her own and proving she belongs there was SO satisfying. She’s determined, stubborn, reckless at times, but impossible not to root for.
The pacing did feel a little slow in parts for me, but I constantly had this feeling that something terrible was looming in the background… and let me tell you, when the other shoe finally dropped? I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room 😭 That cliffhanger was BRUTAL and now I desperately need the next book because excuse me??? We’re ending THERE?!
Thank you A. T. Qureshi, NetGalley, and Harper 360 for the opportunity to read and review this story filled with dragons, danger, betrayal, deadly races, and simmering tension 🐉🔥

[EJ Foreman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and A.T. Qureshi for providing an ARC copy of Rider of Dragons in exchange for an honest review.

I normally love anything with dragons. Dragons on the cover? I’m interested. Dragon racing? Even better. A girl trying to prove herself in a dangerous world full of scales, sabotage, and romantic tension? Please, I have cleared my schedule. So I went into Rider of Dragons expecting to be fully feral, possibly emotionally singed, and at minimum very invested in dragon-related chaos.

And while there were parts I enjoyed, this one fell a little flat for me. The concept is fun, and I can absolutely see why readers who like lighter romantasy or cozy, easy reads would have a good time with it. There’s a sweetness to the story, and the dragon racing setup gives it an accessible hook. But I think I was expecting something with more epic fantasy weight. More danger. More scale. More “oh no, the kingdom is crumbling and everyone is hot and doomed.” Instead, this felt more cutesy and predictable than I personally wanted.

That doesn’t make it bad. It just means it wasn’t quite my flavor of dragon book. I wanted the races to feel more brutal, the world to feel more immersive, and the stakes to hit harder. The book has the bones of something exciting, but for me, it stayed in a safer lane than I expected. It was readable, and there were moments where I could see the charm, but it didn’t fully grab me by the throat and drag me into obsession. Which, frankly, is rude behavior from a dragon book.

What worked for me:
- The dragon racing concept is immediately fun and easy to get into.
- The book has a lighter, more accessible fantasy feel that will work for a lot of readers.
- Genevieve’s desire to prove herself gives the story a clear emotional starting point.
- The trainer dynamic with Qais had potential for tension and romantic buildup.
- The dragon element is charming, and I will always support more dragons in fiction.

What didn’t fully work for me:
- It felt more cutesy than epic, which wasn’t what I expected from the premise.
- The plot was predictable in places.
- I wanted the dragon racing to feel more dangerous and high-stakes.
- The world-building did not feel as deep or immersive as I hoped.
- The romance and conflict had potential, but they didn’t fully hit the level of tension I wanted.

Tropes and vibes:

Dragon racing
Cozy Romantasy
Prove-them-wrong heroine
Cozy fantasy vibes
Light fantasy romance

Who should read it:
Read this if you like dragon stories that lean lighter, softer, and more approachable rather than dark, sprawling, or intensely epic. I think readers who enjoy cozy romantasy, predictable comfort reads, and low-stress fantasy with a fun premise will have a much better time with this than I did. Rider of Dragons had a concept I wanted to love, but it ultimately landed as a three-star read for me: cute, readable, and full of potential, but not quite the dragon-fueled obsession I was hoping for.

[Librow0rm Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, please be aware that Rider of Dragona is the first book in a duology, set in the same world as the absolutely cosy - The Baby Dragon Cafe series, for which A. T. Qureshi has already published 3 books. Now, you don’t have to have read any of them but, if you have you’ll already have an awareness and deeper understanding of the world building and will also have met the protagonist Ginny when she was younger.

Yes, this is a romantasy and there is an element of spice, no question but, I wouldn’t call it super dark, more shades of morally grey, with a definite slow burn love interest with core focus on Ginny’s journey to prove her family wrong after the death of her brother, and become a dragon rider in the not so legal Dragon Races.

As the youngest daughter in the family, Ginny has been very much limited to the confines of what her father deems appropriate and feminine, which Dragon Racing most definitely does NOT fall under. Ginny wants more from life than shopping and her library job. She has the most wonderful dragon Fang and she wants to compete in the deadly Dragon Races that her late brother previously won. She wants to prove that she can do something great but, her father explicitly forbids her from doing so, telling her that if she does enter the Dragon Races he will throw her out and exclude her from the family.

Of course there wouldn’t be a book if Ginny didn’t go against her father anyway and this is the story of how Ginny hooks up with Qais, a most definitely character of dubious morals and background, who becomes her coach throughout the races. Now, if you love dragons, which I most definitely do, you’ll really enjoy the training and racing elements of the book, Qureshi and the narrator Amelia March do a great job of narrating the races themselves, ensuring that they remain interesting and engaging with just enough risk/reward balance to attract anyone with an urge for excitement.

The relationship between Qais and Ginny is most definitely slow burn, grumpy / sunshine but, what makes this book more interesting are the other supporting characters and friends/acquaintances along the way, and I really enjoyed the female friendship that Ginny cultivated during the races, which provided a healthy balance to the whole story.

Ultimately Rider of Dragons will leave you with a huge cliffhanger headache that won’t be resolved until next year with the release of the sequel, The Dragon Thief but, if you’re looking for a dragon focused story that has the right balance of fantasy, adventure, risk and emotion that won’t drag you down into the depths and convolutions of epic or high fantasy, then Rider of Dragons is the perfect read.

Thank you so much Avon Books UK and NetGalley for sharing this arc with me in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun return to the "Baby Dragon Cafe" world. The start of a new duology, this follows Ginny (who we know from previous books) as she defies her family in order to achieve her dream of winning the annual dragon races.

First off, I really do think you need to read the baby dragon series before this. It sets up the world building and you won't understand who the side characters are very well unless you've already read those books. However, this series has a bit more intense vibes. While the other 3 books in the baby dragon world are cozy romances, this is more of an action packed romance/romantasy. I enjoyed both the cozy vibes of the baby dragon series and the more action packed dragon racing theme in this book, and can't wait for book 2!

We follow Ginny in this book, who has always dreamed of dragon racing. In fact, it's been her families legacy for generations to enter and win the illegal dragon races. Her grandfather, father, and brother all won. However her father is super sexist and refuses to let her race, kicking her out of the house when she defies him (he sees no reason unfortunately). This leads her to a sketchy gang member named Qais, who agrees to train and house her in exchange for the monetary prize if she wins. We follow Ginny as she attempts to race her way to first place and prove that women can and do belong in the dragon races.

I loved reading Ginny's perspective. She goes from being a rich girl who has it all to a strong independent woman (although that's forced upon her, she is able to keep her life together despite her father's best efforts), and the author shows us how hard she works to achieve her goals, which is inspiring to say the least. There are some twists and turns, and a cliff hanger ending that will make you desperate the read book 2 immediately.

The writing is pretty simplistic; I especially felt this in the beginning that it felt like teenage written fanfic (I felt this way about this author's other books as well). However, this style makes it easy to read, and fast paced, and I honestly couldn't put the book down.

There are a couple of short, spicy scenes, but nothing too crazy and easy to skim over if you need. I'd say maybe 2/5 spice level.

Overall this was a great read and I'm dying to know what happens in the conclusion to this duology!
Definitely recommend to romance/romantasy readers. 4/5 stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper 360 for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Halima (Starlight_and_blooms) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragon Riders genuinely surprised me in a good way. I expected a fairly typical dragon-tournament romantasy, but instead found a fast-paced, action-driven fantasy with just the right touch of romance, and a few steamy moments.

It took me a little while to warm to Genevieve. She initially came across as immature and impulsive, though this does make sense given her sheltered upbringing as the youngest Sterling. However, she eventually grew on me as the story continued. I did wish the world-building had been explored in more depth, especially given how rich the setting feels, but the final chapters more than made up for it — the ending completely stunned me and left me desperate for more.

One of the highlights was seeing a darker, more intense side of Starvalley through the dragon racing scene, a sharp contrast to the cosy tone of the earlier Baby Dragon books. While I’d recommend reading those first for context, it’s not essential but will help with the world building and enjoyment of this book.

That said, I had read the other books and still had mixed feelings about the overall tone. The story sometimes felt caught between cosy fantasy and romantasy without fully committing to either, which made it feel slightly uneven at times — perhaps because Starvalley is already established as the perfect and comforting world, and the addition of illegal, deadly races doesn’t quite match. But I guess there are hints of this darker side in the Baby Dragon series, so I adapted quickly.

The dragons themselves were a brilliant (not so cute and little anymore but still compelling) — I felt really invested in them. The story did not feel like a dark romantasy at all but more of a YA fantasy with spice. But I think that’s more a marketing blip, rather than a problem with the book itself.

I also enjoyed the subtle cultural touches woven throughout small details like jewellery and terms such as “babba” added depth and authenticity without overwhelming the narrative. It’s something I love about Qureshi’s writing.

The pacing improved with each chapter, but it’s the ending that truly grips you. It left me shocked, emotional, and completely hooked - but be warned, that cliffhanger is devastatingly brutal.

Overall, this was a good and engaging read, and I’m very excited to see where the story goes next.


Thank you Netgalley & Avon for my netgalley arc — I did really enjoy the fast paced audiobook listen.

[Cassie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Illegal dragon racing, forbidden romance, family drama and a disgraced stable boy? Obviously I was sat there ready to become utterly obsessed.
This book is set in the same world as the Baby Dragon Café books — which, confession time, I haven’t read. I went into this knowing absolutely nothing about the world, the characters, or apparently the dragon-racing economy, and honestly? I don’t think it mattered too much. I suspect longtime readers probably got a few exciting little “Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at the telly” moments from familiar names and places, but I never felt lost.
Our FMC is Genevieve — Ginny — who desperately wants to race dragons despite society apparently deciding that wealthy young ladies should instead sit quietly and be decorative.
Her parents are, unsurprisingly, horrified.
So horrified, in fact, that they essentially tell her: “Give up the illegal dragon racing nonsense or get out.”
Ginny chooses “get out,” which I respected immensely.
After being rejected by practically every trainer going, she ends up convincing Qais — a disgraced former dragon stable hand with Mysterious Past™ written across his forehead — to train her. Naturally, while trying to uncover all his secrets, she also develops the deeply inconvenient urge to fall in love with him.
As one does.
Now. I did think the middle dragged a bit. There’s only so many training sequences and repetitive stages one can endure before starting to feel like I’m the one being forced through dragon cardio.
And Ginny herself felt very immature at times, to the point where I genuinely couldn’t work out whether this was meant to be YA, NA, or somewhere awkwardly parked in between.
That said, the audiobook narrator absolutely carried this for me. Her voice was incredibly easy to listen to, every character sounded distinct, and I never once had that “hang on, who’s speaking now?” problem that some fantasy audiobooks seem bizarrely committed to creating.
The ending also didn’t exactly shock me. I saw the twists coming from quite a distance away — the literary equivalent of spotting your bus approaching three stops early.
And while the cliffhanger is clearly begging me to continue the series… I don’t think I’m invested enough to carry on.
Having said that? I can absolutely see this becoming wildly popular. Dragons, romance, rebellion, yearning men with tragic backstories — this book has all the ingredients people go feral for on BookTok.

[nihaarika · Rating 5 out of 5]

hello oh my god that ending?!?!😭😭

my jaw is literally on the floor right now. rider of dragons was so freaking amazing. i’m lowkey devastated that i finished it early because now i have to wait for the next book to come out🥲this is set in the same world as the baby dragon books, but is drastically different in tone. it is far darker and the sense of danger is pretty high.

i have to say, genevieve is one of my favourite mcs that aamna has written. she is determined to compete in deadly dragon races, even if her family says no. genevieve is relentless and refuses to listen (you know what, good for her!!) and finds herself a trainer in qais, a mysterious bad boy with a secretive past. i really liked how the story didn’t shy from highlighting how much pressure genevieve had and how it constantly felt like she had something to prove. i could totally connect with her on those struggles, especially her father’s reluctance and complete refusal to let her be a dragon racer. there’s so much complexity and nuance to her character and she is someone i think people will end up adoring.

qais was a interesting character to me too. he kinda had bad boy vibes, and i say kinda, because as you read through the story, he started to feel like a real softy. the more you learn about his past, the more your heart went out to him. if aamna ever does a bonus chapter with his pov, i’d love to read it hehe. especially the chapters when he and genevieve get…well, “close”🤭🤭

we also get to see some very familiar characters make appearances, plus some new ones that i think may or may not get their own spin-offs👀👀the plot was super cool, and i loved seeing all the races described in the book. they all had a uniqueness to it, even though they were structured the same and i thoroughly enjoyed reading them. and that ending?? i wasn’t expecting that at all. like at all.

rider of dragons was brilliant, captivating and one of the best dragon books i’ve read. if you’ve love yourself a romantasy with dragons, unrelenting fmcs, a bad boy with a soft heart love interest, and a very intriguing plot, then you need to add this to your tbr!!!

thank you avon books uk for the e-arc!

[Catherine Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Train Your Dragon meets Racing Stripes.

Genevieve, 24 and living in her wealthy family’s home, is forbidden from entering the highly dangerous Dragon Races with her young dragon, Fang. Her accounts are frozen and every reputable dragon trainer has been warned off helping her. With no funds and no trainer, but an overwhelming need to prove herself and follow in her brother’s footsteps, Genevieve has no option but to head to the rough part of town. She strikes a deal with Qais, alleged dragon poacher and gang member. He will train her to survive the brutal, lawless, race season in return for the entirety of the prize money if/when she wins. He makes it clear that if she reneges on their deal, he will slit her throat in her sleep.

The stakes were high, but Rider of Dragons was on the cosier fantasy side. No war or political scheming was a nice change. The storyline was fairly straightforward but there were enough side questions to keep me content and the narration was so good I was fully onboard from the prologue alone - it felt like being immersed in a Pixar movie.

The world was set in the modern day but the gangs live tech-free so there was still a cosy tavern feel for the most part. There is no ‘magic’ but dragons and the like are commonplace.

There was lots of detail on the qualifying races when she wasn’t doing very well, then covered the final, more important, races quite quickly. Because of this, the middle got slightly repetitive and the race schedule was slightly confusing. I would have loved a Rocky-esque montage to cover the middle races.

The relationship element was delightful and I enjoyed the ‘will they, won’t they’ which was completely free of any enemies to lovers narrative.

The book’s plot arc concludes nicely but the last chapter sets up a chunky cliffhanger (although you shouldn’t let that stop you from reading now, it stands very well on its own)!

There are on-page spicey scenes, but it is mostly euphemistic language used. The book explores themes of grief, family grievances and following your dreams. The characters swear.
Thanks to A. T. Qureshi, HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an Advance Listener Copy of the book in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Avon Books for providing me with an ARC for Rider of Dragons.

This is a story about Genevieve fighting for the chance to race dragons despite her family desperately trying to stop her. Determined to prove herself, she ends up striking a deal with Qais — an alleged member of a dragon poaching gang — who agrees to train her in exchange for the race winnings. The races themselves are brutal, where sabotage, violence and survival are all part of the competition, and I really liked the darker edge that gave the story!

The concept itself was one of my favourite aspects: a dragon-riding challenge hosted by gang members is such a fun setup, and it caught my attention. I also really appreciated Genevieve as a feminist FMC. She’s incredibly strong-willed, determined, and refuses to back down, which made her easy to root for. Her bond with Fang was also genuinely sweet and one of the highlights of the story for me.

Qais was an interesting MMC as well. He starts off mysterious, and his softer personality underneath the guarded exterior worked well, especially alongside his tragic backstory. However, while the story tells us there is romantic tension between the characters, I unfortunately didn’t feel that chemistry come through strongly on page.

For me personally, I struggled with the world-building. As someone who hasn’t read the Baby Dragon Cafe series, I occasionally felt like I was missing context or familiarity with the world, and some of the character relationships and names became a little difficult to keep track of. Because of that, I never fully connected with either the characters or the story itself. So I believe that's more of an issue on my part for not reading those prior.

That said, I do think this book was a fun read — it simply wasn’t quite the right fit for my personal reading tastes. The ending, however, definitely surprised me, and that final character twist was brutal - poor Ginny! I'd like to see where this story goes.

I’d rate this around 3 stars overall. I think there’s an audience that will really enjoy it — particularly readers who lean more towards YA fantasy with strong feminist themes and dragons and a sense of cosy/whimsy alongside the darker themes of grief and pain.

[Allison Pace · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a tough one for me and I found myself really not being engaged or wanting to finish. I think my biggest issue with Rider of Dragons was the way it was marketed. Labeling this as a “dark,” “thrilling” romantasy set me up for something much grittier and more emotionally intense. Instead, what I got felt much lighter and more surface-level, which created a pretty big disconnect between expectations and reality.

The world-building was especially frustrating. I never felt grounded in the setting; there are dragons, but also hints of modern elements like cell phones and designer items, yet characters are still frequenting rustic taverns that feel straight out of a medieval setting. None of it blended in a way that made sense, and by the end, I still couldn’t picture the world clearly. It felt inconsistent and underdeveloped.

The overall tone leaned very YA to me. And I want to be clear; that’s not inherently a bad thing. I’ve read plenty of YA that’s rich, immersive, and beautifully crafted. But here, it felt more like a lack of depth than a stylistic choice. I kept waiting for more detail, more clarity, more substance, and it just never really came.

The romance also didn’t land for me. It felt rushed and lacked any meaningful buildup, jumping too quickly into intense feelings without giving me a reason to believe in them. Because of that, I never became invested in the relationship.

Even the central premise of dragon racing should have been a highlight. It had so much potential to be exciting and high-stakes, but instead it became repetitive to the point where I started to lose interest. The same structure repeated over and over made it hard to stay engaged.

The final chapter was probably the most interesting part, though even that felt pretty predictable.

Overall, this read felt very surface-level and didn’t offer the depth or consistency I was looking for. I can see it potentially working for newer readers or those wanting something simple, but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. I might consider the sequel… but realistically, probably not.

I received an ARC through NetGalley for my honest review.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I never read the Baby Dragon Café series, so this was my first experience of Aamna Qureshi's writing, and I enjoyed it! I really liked the world building in this book, it felt very immersive, and I am a sucker for any book with dragons in. The bonds between dragons and riders were one of my favourite parts, and I loved seeing Ginny and Fang grow their bond throughout the book. The competition was a great base for the story to be based around, although the trials did start to merge into one for me. I think this was a well thought out book, and I am happy it will be a duology. The twist at the end of book one had me gripped, and I will definitely read book 2 to finish up this story.

Although, this book did read as more of a YA novel to me instead of adult and as the centre of the story, Ginny was frustratingly naïve. I am definitely not a fan of the "I'm not like other girls, I don't wear makeup and people don't interest me" vibes that she was radiating. It seemed like she felt that she knew better than everybody else in the story, and wouldn't take anybody's advice to heart. She was quite childish, and I'm not entirely sure her personality fit well into an adult fantasy novel. But seeing her grow throughout the story was nice!

On the romance side of things, it definitely leans more on the side of a slow burn romance, instead of enemies to lovers, as they really don't know each other before meeting, and get on reasonably quite quick into their partnership. Qais was mysterious and interesting, his relationship with his brother was so interesting, and I can't wait to see what happens with him in the next book. Although, I do sense a love triangle on the horizon.

With the other side characters, I hope we see more in the second book if there is a deeper reason that Ginny's father was so unsupportive and cruel, or if it is just straight up sexism. Zaviyar & Vaneeza were good additions, and I hope there is more of them both in the follow up.

Thank you to NetGalley & the Author for this E-ARC!

[Kyle B · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)

Thank you to NetGalley, Aamna Qureshi, and the publisher for providing me with an audiobook ARC of Rider of Dragons.

This story follows Genevieve, who comes from a long line of illegal dragon racers and is determined to continue her family’s legacy by becoming the top racer. The problem? Her family is completely against it. No woman has ever won, and once you’re in the skies, there are no rules—and no guarantees of survival. With no support from her family, Genevieve turns to a member of a dragon poaching gang to train her for the races.

Genevieve is such an interesting character—she comes from a very privileged background, and I think Aamna Qureshi did a great job balancing her entitlement with her determination and willingness to risk absolutely everything to win. She’s not always easy to root for, but she feels very real because of it.

The romance is a *very* slow burn, packed with tension that kept me hooked throughout. I also really enjoyed the modern fantasy setting—it felt refreshing to have things like phones and a contemporary world alongside dragons, without adding extra layers of magic.

The only thing that felt a little lacking for me was the sense of danger in the first half of the book. Genevieve refers to her family as being part of a gang, but they come across as incredibly warm and wholesome (lavender coffee shop included!), and the dragons initially feel more like oversized puppies than deadly racing creatures. However, this completely shifts once the competition begins—the stakes become much clearer, and the tension really ramps up. I just wish a bit more of that danger had been established earlier on.

The audiobook narration by Amelia March was fantastic. The pacing was spot on, and she did an amazing job giving each character a distinct voice, which really brought the story to life.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable start to the series with high stakes, great tension, and a massive cliffhanger that has me eager for the next book.

[Kate Laycoax · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know… this one just didn’t fully hit for me. There were some positives for sure, but also some negatives.

I was really excited because DRAGONS + racing + romance is the PERFECT mix, and all the rage right now because of Fourth Wing and others. That should have been an instant win. And don’t get me wrong, it was fun and definitely a wild ride at times but I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was trying a little too hard to *be* Fourth Wing.

Like… even down to the MMC’s name: Xavier vs. Xaden. You see what I mean... as others have pointed out, this stuck out to me because it felt a little too on the nose for me.

The story leaned way more YA than I was expecting for something marketed as dark and thrilling. I kept waiting for it to get gritty or twisted, and it just… never really did. It felt much more lighthearted and romantasy driven than dark fantasy, which isn’t a bad thing but just not what I was expecting.

The worldbuilding choices were not all that great either. Women can basically do everything… except dragon race? That felt so random and not fully explained, especially when the FMC is clearly capable of everything else. It pulled me out of the story a bit.

And honestly, my biggest issue: the romance overshadowed the dragons. I wanted more dragon racing with the danger, the chaos, and the strategy but it often felt like that took a backseat to the relationship. The races were there, but they should have been a bigger focus.

However, I did find it really captivating and intriguing and very engaging. It’s easy to get into, fast-paced, and genuinely entertaining. Those who love romantasy, tension, and a bit of drama will probably love this!

I think this is a solid start with a lot of potential. I’d love to see book two lean more into the worldbuilding, give us more show instead of tell, and really go all in on the dragon racing. Because if that happens? This could go from good to great!

Thank you to NetGalley, A.T. Qureshi, and Harper 360 for the eARC of this book.