A Word Before the Dark

by K. L. McLean

Ellie Talarion came to Eryndor Academy to disappear.
But secrets are hard to keep in a place built on ancient oaths and lethal tradition.

Eryndor trains dragonriders—those born to power and destined for the skies. Ellie possesses neither. She entered the gates with a single goal: survive the training, keep her head down, and vanish among the ranks.

As darkness begins to stir at the edge of the realm, Ellie’s presence at the Academy becomes more dangerous than she expected, forcing her to choose between staying hidden in the shadows, or embracing a bond that will strip her secrets bare.

Some bonds change the course of a life.
Others change the world.

Book One of the Rider’s Oath Trilogy

396 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 5, 2026

About the author

K. L. McLean is the author of The Rider’s Oath Trilogy, an epic fantasy series featuring dragon riders, political intrigue, and powerful magical bonds. The trilogy follows characters navigating loyalty, truth, and the consequences of oaths in a fractured realm. McLean is an independent author publishing through Amazon KDP.

Reviews

[Alicia Mayer]

Temu version of fourth wing with no character development whatsoever

[book babe]

might be my fault

I usually read high stakes fantasy / fantasy romance / Romantasy - & this book just didn’t do it for me. I did enjoy the unique magic system, the beginning of the main female character, & the different types of magical people. I would have like more explanation of mages, artifacts, & wards. Unfortunately, I felt that all the friendships were superficial & didn’t have enough depth. I wasn’t satisfied with the main character development & I wasn’t satisfied with the plot either. It felt slow paced, dragged on for me, & there weren’t twists & turns. I didn’t feel like I was on the edge of my seat or needed to find out what happened next. It had interesting concepts but lacked intensity, character depth / character growth, & world building. The world building was not anything special or unique. Overall I am disappointed but it could have been my own fault because usually romantic fantasy has stronger focus on relationships / friendships / depth in character growth - so it totally could have just been my fault.

[Angel Bolt]

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book seriously deserves SO much more hype! If you loved Fourth Wing, you absolutely need to give this one a chance. It has that same addictive feeling, but with even more world-building, bonds, found family, and DRAGONS! 🐉

I literally could not put it down and I’m already starting book two. 😭 The characters, the world, the bonds—it all pulled me in completely. This is seriously underrated and deserves a chance!

[Michele M]

This book was so good, really hard to put down. I've read lots of dragon rider books but this one was unique in its own way. I thought I had the plot figured out but it was flipped in the last chapter. I enjoyed how the dragon speak was handled and I was invested pretty quick in these characters especially Theo, Quinn and Ellie. I can't wait to see what they become in the next book.

[Leilani Harmon]

What A Read!

Dragon riders-magic-quest-bonds! This story has it all. At first I thought of Fourth Wing but it’s not. The author has stepped it up and can’t wait to start the next book. You won’t be disappointed

[Gail_T-M]

Dragons!

You had me at the mention of dragons.
You kept me with your words and your imagination.
A fresh look at fate and revelation.
Mages, Wizards, Dragons and then magic - I love fantasy! Especially when the words let you travel with the story.

[Ashley Eaton]

This book was amazing! I cannot wait to start book 2!!

[Glenda]

Slow

I did not love this book but I finished it. Overwritten and redundant. Slow looping story. None of the characters were developed enough to make the reader connect with them.

[Casey]

I liked the premise of this book but it just seemed kind of choppy and confusing.