One broken rider. One defiant blacksmith. One bond the world was never meant to see. Valerius Stormborn was once the Empire’s most feared dragon rider. Now he is a disgraced survivor haunted by the dragon he failed to save. Nymeria Ironfoot was never meant for legends—only the quiet grind of the forge. But when a long-dormant dragon egg awakens to both of them, it forges a bond that should not exist… and one the powerful will kill to control. Hunted by the Empire’s ruthless Praetorian Guard and condemned by the very dragon clans sworn to protect their kind, Valerius and Nymeria are forced into a desperate flight across a world already tilting toward war. Because the Empire is building something far worse than an army. The Dragon Chain. A weapon designed to break dragons… and enslave the riders bound to them. Outnumbered. Outmatched. Bound by fire and blood. To survive, they won’t just have to fight the Empire— They’ll have to burn it down. Perfect for fans of epic dragon rider fantasy, slow-burn bonds, and emotionally charged high-stakes adventure.