Griffin Reads – Chronicles of the Roc Rider

Title: Chronicles of the Roc Rider

Author: Aaron Volner

Genre: Epic Fantasy, Creature-Driven Adventure

Summary:

Roc rider Tanin Stormrush is one of the last of his kind, bonded to the young roc Zera and bound by a promise to his dying wife. When Zera is poisoned and an assassin with a shifting face threatens them both, Tanin’s quest for justice becomes a race against time. As he tracks down the assassin, uncovering a larger conspiracy, he must confront grief, betrayal, and the shadowy forces that seek to remake reality. Tanin and Zera must rise to meet an ancient evil and find the strength to save each other along the way.

Content Guide:

• Themes of grief, loyalty, and vengeance
• Fantasy violence and tense scenes involving danger to animals and humans
• No explicit content or mature themes, but emotional weight and peril are present

My Thoughts:

OK, full disclosure. Longtime fans and those who watched my video of my recent trip to the Wyoming Writers Conference will know that Aaron Volner is a friend of mine and has been for a long time. We went to our first writers conference together, and we’ve kept in touch as writing buddies for the last fifteen years-plus. However, that being said, I am also a fan of Aaron’s work, and it deserves attention.

Chronicles of the Roc Rider is the first book in the Roc Rider series. The scale starts small, but in the second book the series’ world and scope really start expanding, fueling the excitement for the pending continuation of the series which Aaron is currently working on.

Tanin is a hero shaped by grief and hope. He searches for his quarry not just for vengeance, but to save the life of his roc Zera. Their bond is the heart of the story, somewhere between a cowboy and his horse and a grieving soldier with his support dog. It’s a bond that goes beyond man and beast.

The prose is lean and action-driven, and while it may come across as sparse at times, there’s still room for wonder, heartbreak, and tension as loyalties are tested and secrets unravel. It’s emotional without being overwrought, and a noble first effort from a developing author.

If you’re craving a fantasy where the bond between human and creature carries as much weight as any prophecy, Chronicles of the Roc Rider is worth discovering.