The New Adult book The Final Rider by Elyzabeth Trickey should be added to your TBR (to be read) list if you enjoy…
- Dragons
- Slow-burn romance
- Multiple POVs (points of view)
- Morally grey princesses
- A reluctant hero/chosen one
- Human-animal bonds
There are two main characters, Hazel and Alastriona, though chapters cover other POVs at times.
Eighteen year-old Hazel is guarded and keeps her head down working in the mines. Her secrets and guilt prevent her from socializing or making friends, but being alone and left to herself is how she prefers it. Yet, that all changes when she not only finds a dragon egg – which is supposed to be an impossible feat on its own – but it chooses to hatch for her! Hazel goes from being a nobody to being a somebody, and she initially loathes the idea of being chosen as a Rider as her simple life becomes anything but. She’s whisked away to the castle in the capitol of Euphopha with her bonded dragon where she must decide who she wants to be while accepting a fate she never wanted. During this time, she becomes the target of the Witch Queen, who has offered an alliance with the Wasteland Queen Alastriona, crown princess of Gaelin.
Alastriona is believed by the world at large to be dead since the Morvands usurped the throne and killed most of the Ashcovens, the royal family of Gaelin. After much torture, Alastriona was released. She’s been living in the monster-infested Wastelands with fifty-odd followers. When the Witch Queen offers her a chance to reclaim her rightful throne, Alastriona is intrigued, but an alliance with witches is a dangerous game. The Witch Queen has her sights set on Hazel’s dragon’s blood, and she wants Alastriona to retrieve it.
I really did enjoy The Final Rider. I think Trickey does a wonderful job building the world and the lore, and having us discover things as Hazel does is effective – the reader isn’t bombarded with too much information too fast, which I appreciate. I also loved loved loved the dragon and its bond with Hazel…I won’t say much more than that to avoid spoilers!
To be honest, based on the cover alone (which is stunning!), I thought this was going to be a YA book. It is definitely NEW ADULT with profane language, some violence, and innuendo.
I am a bit disappointed in Hazel’s decisions near the end of the book, though I understand her reasonings. Overall, I give The Final Rider 3.5 stars as I did enjoy it! I think this being a debut novel is extremely well executed, and I look forward to reading more works by Trickey in the future. I think fantasy fans, especially fans of dragons, will enjoy this book.
Thank you to NBB Book Tours and author Elyzabeth Trickey for gifting me a copy of The Final Rider in exchange for an honest review!
You can order your copy of The Final Rider from Amazon here, and remember you can always request a copy at your local library. Happy reading!