This was a gifted ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was marketed as being fourth wing and fast and furious mixed together. Honestly, it was hard for me to finish. The sentence structures were repetitive and the dialogue was very cringey. It told all and showed very little. It also skipped from scene to scene without much transition. It overall read like a first draft.

There were some good concepts to this book. For example, having a MMC in a Romantasy was a different take.

This book had me immediately at "inspired by The Fast and The Furious". And if you are like me and can nearly quote the entire first movie from memory, then I highly recommend this book. My favourite parts were the almost word-by-word quotes from the first movie. Whenever I came across another, I would mentally schedule my next re-watch of the movie (and series...).

Overall, the book could have benefitted from more world- and character-building. We are dropped into this story in much the same place as the movie, but in the movie, we already inherently know the world since it is not a fantasy. In this book, we get a few snippets of history and fantasy explanations through the academic aspects, but I would have loved to see more. As for the characters, I'd have liked to know more about them as individuals and dove more into their histories and motivations.

The writing is quite simple and doesn't carry much in the way of flowery descriptions or prose. While this did work for me, it may not work for others. I would have appreciated a bit more description of the world around us to set the scenes, but the writing as-is did lend itself to a quick read.

Second to the movie quote references, my favourite part was the relationships with the dragons. I love the mind-speak aspect because it always lets us understand the dragon as a character as opposed to a simple creature.

Thank you to NetGalley and Yggdrasil Press for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating: 3 / 5

Thank you to the Kriss Dean, Yggdrasil Press and Netgalley for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Summary
While the premise and concept of the book have potential, the novel as a whole needed more world building and fleshing out of its main characters. Some characters, including main characters, needed more depth and reason for their actions. The story felt very very fast paced, honestly more so than was necessary for plot development I would have been happy to see even 100 more pages to allow for the world and character development. Highlights were the mechanics of the dragons and dragon "breaking". I struggle with the concept of dragons in "modern" day, but feel that it could be a good mix if more time was taken in writing.

Concept and World Building
I want to start by saying I LOVE the premise of this book. Going into the novel, both the description of Fast and Furious mixed with Fourth Wing, I was pumped. There are some very cool ideas and aspects here, but I do feel some of them needed to be fleshed out more. Highlights were the concept of "breaking" the dragon with the obsidian collars and the communication link between the dragons.

I personally struggled with picturing the locations and some of the world building aspects. We are dropped into the end of Markus's first year, and I think we could have benefited from some world building happening up front. The story is fast paced enough that I felt like I could never catch up.

Romance Plot Line
While there were some very cute and steamy moments between our MC and his romantic interest, I do wish there had been some more build up. The pair are very reminiscent of insta-love, rather than a slower build up to the romance.

Characters
As normal, my favorite character is by far the dragon. That being said, I feel that many of the characters need more in depth development and overall fell flat.


Spice Level: 2/5
Plot Concept: 4/5
Plot Development: 2.5/5
Character Concepts: 4/5
Character Development: 2/5
World-Building: 2/5
Writing Style: 2.5/5

This had a lot of potential. I wish the author took a bit more time writing it and included more depth to the world so we, as readers, can visualize what it looks like. I also wish there was more background. This book gave me the same feeling as walking into a movie that’s halfway done.

I love anything with dragons so got very excited to read this but I struggled with it past the first couple chapters. It started off interesting and I love a good urban fantasy that mixes in the real world but then it just kind of fell flat for me and was super rushed. Still a fun read as anything with dragons is!

I really enjoyed this book. It was so unique mixing real world with dragons. And the racing scenes gave me anxiety! (In a good way). I fell in love with Loki and have so many questions about Amira and Tobias’s mother. There is so much more to this story and I really hope this becomes a series!

Thank you NetGalley and Yggdrasil press for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dragon Den immediately caught my interest with the Cover and Synopsis. Dragons x Fast and the Furious? Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing? Sign me up.
This is a Futuristic Urban Fantasy setup in the Pacific Northwest. Which I also enjoyed, being from Oregon.

The first fews chapters of the book was great, but then got a little too fast paced. We start off with Markus and the other students at school, having to collar a dragon or be kicked out. From there, everything is thrown at you page after page. I feel if we would have slowed down a bit, it would have be better.

I liked the Fast and Furious references at the beginning, but then came to realize it 100% follows the storyline of the first movie. There were too many almost direct quotes from the movie. That made the book a little predictable to me.

The ending took a small turn and I enjoyed that, but also felt like it was rushed and slightly unbelievably easy for one event that happens.

The writing is easy to read, but sometimes too easy. I wanted more depth with the characters. More complexity. I never fully connected to anyone. I did enjoy the Dragon Dialogue with Loki. Will I read the 2nd book? Maybe. 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I usually try and give a book the benefit of the doubt if it doesn't immediately command my attention, but I honestly could not for the life of me engage with this story. The tagline perked my interest so much so that I may have gotten too high of expectations. I mean, Fast & Furious meets Fourth Wing, count me in! But, I guess I couldn't rectify how dragons could fit in with the modern world, and I didn't feel like it was integrated well in this book either.

I'm grateful to have been given an advanced copy of this book, however, I couldn't make it through to the end because of how disconnected I felt from the setting, the plot, and the characters.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 1.75 🌟

This book had tremendous potential with its concept of modern dragon racing, yet I struggled to fully immerse myself in it.
The narrative thrusts you into the final month of school with a climactic event but fails to adequately elaborate on key elements, leaving readers to fill in the gaps. The lack of thorough world-building at the onset made it challenging to grasp the story's foundation.
While dragons are amazing and inloved Loki, I craved more depth and context. The pacing felt rushed, and the dialogue between characters was lacking, hindering my ability to truly connect with them. Additionally, certain moments felt reminiscent of immature teenage behavior, which detracted from the overall experience.

Markus is going to be expelled from Dragon Military Academy he has failed at his first attempt as a Dragon rider.
His only chance is going undercover to find who is hijacking obsidian.
A take on the Fast and Furious franchise this is a fast-paced start to this series.
The main character seems a bit selfish and self absorbed. The other characters need to be fleshed out a lot more if you are willing to follow their stories into the next book in the series.
Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

"Dragon Den" by Kriss Dean promises a thrilling ride through a world of dragons and daring escapades, drawing inspiration from the adrenaline-fueled excitement of "The Fast and the Furious" and the endearing charm of "How to Train Your Dragon." However, despite its ambitious premise, the book struggles to soar, weighed down by its own frenetic pace and lack of depth.

While the premise of the book holds much promise, the execution falls short, leaving readers feeling disconnected from both the characters and the world they inhabit. The fast pace of the narrative leaves little room for exploration or development, with events unfolding in rapid succession, often without sufficient context or explanation.

One of the most glaring shortcomings of the book is its lack of world-building. Readers are thrown into the midst of Markus's story without any meaningful background information or context, leaving them feeling confused. Moreover, the brevity of the narrative deprives readers of the opportunity to develop a meaningful connection with the characters. Markus and his companions remain largely undeveloped, their motivations and personalities remaining elusive and unexplored

I'd like to not that amidst the shortcomings, one shining beacon emerges in the form of Loki, the dragon.

Overall, "Dragon Den" falls short of its potential, hampered by a lack of world-building, underdeveloped characters, and a breakneck pace that leaves little room for emotional resonance

Thank you NetGalley and Yggdrasil Press for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was clearly written in the shadow of the success of Fourth Wing by R. Yarros. For those who still are in hangover after reading FW this is perfect. Why? We have dragons and riders who wear all-black leather everywhere. Unlike what I initially thought this is not High Fantasy but an Urban Fantasy set in a far future in the USA - thing that I was not expecting but was a nice change of pace.

I did like the Fast and Furious x Dragons. In this case we don't have illegal car races but illegal dragon races. Even my love for cars (and I'm a mechanical engineering student mind you) isn't enough to win again dragons - because yeah dragons are dragons and nobody can't change my mind on the fact that they are automatically cool.

What didn't tune with me was how quick we were shoved into action, the first 30% of the book felt too rushed, chaotic to be well-looked at. Taking out the writing, very colloquial, very easy to read but at times too repetitive (I would have been surprised if Amira did not wear her Vanilla lotion). At times the plots infos were not explained /would have liked knowing more on the little lore the author has dropped, something I hope we'll see in book 2.

Another thing was more or less the flatness of the characters? More or less every member in Tobias' gang taking out Theo felt bland, Amira and Theo being the more spirited. I would have liked seeing more character from Jonas and Tobias himself. Markus is the typical boy who speaks before acting, thinking is left to others.

The very last thing that felt very off was the whole dragon x rider bonding. How easily Loki seemed to forget his previous rider (the whole book is more or less set in less that a month). That Markus didn't really have to struggle with him. That after less than two weeks they were already best friends.

The ending was half predictable, both in terms of relationship and plot, but still well executed leaving space for what I think will be book 2.

Will I be reading the sequel if It comes out? Probably, but not sure.

Ok, so this book caught my attention because of the dragon on the front and the fact that it was called Dragon Den. I had no idea what to expect other than the short little blurb.

This book was a wild, exciting, non-stop ride from start to finish. I started and could not stop. All other books I was reading went on an immediate hold while I sped through this story.

Markus is a bad-boy with a soft spot for the good girl, Amira. Amira is the sister of an incredibly intimidating, overprotective brother Tobias, so Markus has to work some serious bro-magic to get anywhere close to Amira.

The book takes place mainly in Seattle and Portland, and is set in a world exactly like ours but with dragons that have been around since the beginning. The idea is that they hibernate all year in volcanoes around the world, but on the summer solstice when the dragons come out, a few daring, gifted souls can break said dragons and become a Goldwing (essentially a member of the dragon army).

Markus has his sights set on breaking the biggest, baddest dragon out there, a Black Clubtail. But on the solstice, things don’t go the way he was hoping, and he ends up staying at the Dragild Military Academy by a stroke of sheer luck.

As Marcus gets pulled into a world of espionage and secrecy he never expected to be a part of, can he get everything he wants? Will he actually walk away with a dragon, a girl, and the life of his dreams?

Read Dragon Den to find out!

This book is 3/5 on the spice meter 🌶️🌶️🌶️
A 5/5 in ease of reading
A 5/5 in storyline/plot
A 5/5 in characters

Overall 5/5 for me

Tropes include
- Bad boy / good girl
- annoy each other to lovers
- gang
- interracial
- DRAGONS 🐉
- undercover mission
- underdog
- win her over

Ok I'll be so honest, the tagline realllllllllly got me. The Fast and the Furious, perfect for adult fans of How to Train Your Dragon and Fourth Wing. I mean who isn't intrigued by that???

In theory, I would have eaten this up. Dragons in an urban fantasy setting? I'm down. Action packed and romance? I'm here for it. It just didn't execute any of it well. We jumped right into the story, but not in a good way. We were given NOTHING about who Markus was at the beginning and why he was trying to achieve his goals. There was also no real compelling reason as to why Markus was chosen to infiltrate the clan. Both of those things just made it really hard for me to care about the story at all. I so hoped that this would be better than it was, but it just didn't deliver the way I was wanting it to.

Thank you, Yggdrasil Press, Kriss Dean and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fast and the Furious but with dragons? Yes please. This book definitely isn’t perfect but it was a very entertaining read. We just right into the action, probably a bit too quick, and it doesn’t really let up all of the way through. I could have done with a little more background. It felt like we were missing a prequel or at least a few chapters from the start. I’d happily have read another 100 pages if it got me a bit more background and world building. I loved the dragons and their personalities. The illegal dragon racing was great. I’m looking forward to reading more.

It was an enjoyable read, but at times it felt rushed for the story it was trying to tell. Since it starts midway through the school year, I would have appreciated more background information on the characters and the world around them. The dragons had great personalities that I loved. Overall, it was fast-paced and an easy read, and I would read future releases of this series.

2 stars - the idea was there but it missed the mark
“Fourth wing meets fast and the furious” is the tag line here and it is almost too accurate. Overall, it was fine, but it felt like the outline of inspiration was too visible.

The good:
- the dragons were fun. The personalities of the dragons, the lore and the idea of dragon racing were great. Very enjoyable.
- The gangs and underground doings were a great plot point.

The bad:
- the worldbuilding was laking. Yes, we jump right in, but give me more info. I really didnt care for our guy Markus, because I knew nothing about him. Okay cool you want to have a dragon, but what else is there? Also what exactly are the rules for this society. I understand this is Urband Fantasy, but there is so much that is untouched and not mentioned.
- The inner monolog, spoken monolog and relationships between characters are cringey, awkward and honestly uncomfortable. There is so much bro-energy going on. This is where the fast and the furious vibe took over.
- very insta-love. The relationship was just kind of there and other than a hot body, it felt like that’s all there was for our main guy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Yggdrasil Press for the advanced readers copy!

A book like Fourth Wing? Fourth Wing got me back into reading fantasy, so I held this to a high standard. Honestly, I was not overly impressed.

The book starts midway into your main character's first year in school without much explanation as to what's going on there and in the world in general. I would have loved far more world building in leading up to and moving on from the start.

Overall, this was an easy read and easy to follow, but I was expecting more from the plot and the dragon elements.

First I want to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the arc of this book.

I personally found this book to be a quick fun read. I know it’s advertised as being for those who like Fourth Wing and while there are elements similar I would say it’s more Fast and the Furious, but with dragons. If you love those movies not for their dialogue or action scenes but more for how cheesy they are then you’ll enjoy this book.

While this was advertised as Fast and the Furious meets Fourth Wing, its really more F&F retelling with dragons.

After failing to break his own dragon Marcus is given the opportunity to earn a dead riders dragon. How you may ask? Well by going undercover to infiltrate a gang by befriending the leaders son. The son likes nothing more than to race dragons, even using a lil something to boost their speed. Of course we also have the sister love interest as well.

While it's not a terrible retelling it is one of the weirdest. Set in a futurist seattle, where not much is different except ya know dragons.
It was a fun read, but somewhat predictable if you already know the plot to F&F