The Drage Empire has harried its enemies for over fifty years, bringing death and destruction as their forces strove to crush their enemies.
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Prince Kieran Lorcan of the Drage Empire was raised to believe that taking over the other nations would allow them to spread the prosperity of his empire. Despite that, Kieran had doubts but never voiced his opinion. Until one day, Kieran spoke out of turn by voicing his traitorous thoughts. This causes his father to strip him of his title and banish him, leaving only one way for him to return home: by proving that he is worthy of his title. For two years, Kieran spent every waking moment searching for ways to prove to his father that he is a worthy prince.
One day, Kieran overhears a conversation about a map that leads to the last dragon egg, a species thought to be extinct. Seeing an opportunity to prove himself, Kieran decides to find the dragon egg and bring it to his father. Only problem? Captain Cai holds a fraction of the map.
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On the other side of the world is Captain Cai, the most notorious pirate in the world. Keeping her real identity and gender hidden, Cai goes gallivanting around the world, searching for lost treasures, pillaging villages, experiencing unforgettable adventures and ignoring the war raging around her. Maybe once, she would've cared about the innocents dying in this unjustified war, but instead, she learned to suppress her emotions, caring for only her crew and herself.
One day, Captain Cai discovers the map to the last dragon. Seeing an opportunity to become rich beyond her deepest imagination, Cai decides to take up the challenge. Only problem? She must deal with a suspicious new recruit that is strangely determined to find the dragon egg.
Hated by the people she's sworn to protect, dragon rider Neely Lynch searches for her stolen dragon while struggling to control the dark powers inside her.
*****
After the Culling of Naughton -- a horrific slaughter that led to the murder of several dragon riders and the destruction of two separate armies -- Neely Lynch is on the warpath. Unbeknownst to most, Neely and her friends survived the Culling and are determined to reunite with their kidnapped dragons at any cost (even if that means leaving a trail of broken and bloody bodies behind them). But finding her dragon soon becomes the least of her problems when Neely discovers her disappearance after the Culling has only added to her reputation as the infamous Vidalin Rider. Hated and scorned by the people she's sworn to protect, Neely must find a way to prove she's not the villain everyone thinks she is before her dark and deadly powers, which are slowly growing beyond her control, transform her into the very thing she's trying not to be.
[The Rider's Legend can be read as Book 3 in The Rider series, or as a standalone -- but note that it will spoil Book 1 and 2]
[[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]