“It’s a true epic fantasy in every sense of the genre and I can see why the German edition was successful. It’s an incredible story!”
Review by Rayleigh Gray
The Magical Legacy of the Ryūjin is the captivating beginning of a saga where ancient forces awaken, unlikely bonds form, and the fate of a magical world begins to shift.
Have you ever debated the ethics of killing… with a dragon?
Rob, a stable boy from Castle Skargness, never asked for any of this. But when a twist of fate throws him together with Fuku Riu—a reckless young forest dragon with far too much attitude and far too little patience—everything changes.
After a tragic turn during the legendary dragon tournament, Rob and Fuku are forced to flee north, hunted by the merciless servants of pure magic. Their uneasy alliance is tested at every step, and trust is hard‑won in a land full of ancient threats and unseen watchers.
Meanwhile, in a very different world, Mi Lou—a pragmatic systems analyst from 2055—finds herself pulled into Skaiyles by forces she doesn’t yet understand. Her arrival marks a turning point, though none of them realize it yet.
As pure magic rises and buried legacies begin to stir, even the smallest bond may carry the weight of destiny.
German readers will find both Volumes 01 and 02 combined in the original German edition.
Release Date: 7/15/2025
Genre & Audience: Adult Fantasy
Pages: 376
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. All comments and opinions are entirely my own and this review is voluntary.
The Magical Legacy of the Ryujin is the exciting first installment of The Ryujin Saga books—a successful epic fantasy adventure that was originally released in German (as one book) in 2016.
We follow multiple characters in a sort of paralleled universe that meshes science fiction with fantasy within an intricate world built on technology, magic systems, and of course, dragons. I loved everything about the world and could not read the first book fast enough! The story is well paced, the characters are easy to keep track of, and the magic system is extremely thorough. It's a true epic fantasy in every sense of the genre and I can see why the German edition was successful. It's an incredible story!
That being said, because this is an English translation (and the author mentioned in the Author's Note that AI was utilized during the translation process), there were instances where I felt like parts of the scenes were missing in translation or certain words jolted me out of the felling of fantasy. For instance, one dragon is repeatedly referred to by other characters as a "good guy", which isn't a big deal, but the eloquence and reverence that the characters hold for the dragons is lost with such casual descriptions. That's just one example, but it happened often enough that I had to remind myself that it's a translated story and when I read in the Author's Note, at the end of the book, that AI was used, it made sense of how those types of discrepancies made it into the book. Now, these are easily overlooked and I did receive an Advanced Copy, so these things might be fixed in the published version. Like I said, though, I really enjoyed the story as it is and I finished it in two days.
I already have the second book, so I'll be diving directly into that one soon! Overall, if you enjoy high fantasy and want a cultural shift away from the Americanized fantasy, The Magical Legacy of Ryujin is a great place to start!
Content disclaimers: I have nothing to report other than the use of dark magic. There's no cursing. No romance. The action is mild, though it's heavier during the science fiction side of the story.
Content Ratings:
Action & Gore:
4. Some action (some mildly detailed battle sequences and/or fights).
Romance & Spice:
0. None.
Cursing & Vulgarity:
0. None.
Other Trigger/Content Notices:
N/A
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