A. T. Qureshi‘s next book promises fiercer races and steamier romance as News Of Losangeles unveils the jacket for Rider of Dragons, launching Sept. 1.
At a Glance
- Debut cover of the new romantasy duology shows a dragon racer poised above Starshine Valley
- Heroine Genevieve bucks her family’s wishes to chase glory on the track
- Author pledges higher stakes, darker twists, and diverse leads
- Why it matters: Pre-orders are live now, and early buzz positions the novel as a fall breakout
Inside the Jacket
The artwork drops readers straight into Starshine Valley. A rider stands on a craggy ledge, cloak whipping upward, while a dragon circles overhead against a bruised sunset. HarperCollins kept the palette moody-deep indigos and ember oranges-to signal the grittier tone Qureshi is embracing after her lighter Baby Dragon middle-grade series.
Qureshi, a Pakistani-American Muslim writer, tells News Of Losangeles the image captures the book’s core tension. “Fantasy has always been my first love, but I haven’t always seen characters who looked like me,” she says. “Crafting this world with diverse leads lets me explore identity while delivering the adrenaline rush of dragon racing.”
Plot Stakes Get Sharper
Genevieve, born into a family that forbids racing, sneaks onto the track and cuts a deal with Qais, a trainer rumored to poach dragons for profit. His terms: she keeps none of her winnings. The arrangement drags her into a circuit where:
- Sabotage is encouraged
- Attacks mid-air are common
- Victory demands cruelty she isn’t sure she owns
The synopsis warns that to stay alive Genevieve must decide “whether she is willing to lose everything.”
From Cozy to Cutthroat
Qureshi describes the shift from her middle-grade books as deliberate. “Everything has been amped up and intensified for this book: the stakes, the romance, the lore, and of course, the dragons,” she says. Where Baby Dragon used a cozy lens, Rider of Dragons dives into violence, political intrigue, and angst-filled romance.
She promises:
- Tension and angst in every chapter
- Twists as heart-pounding as a final-lap dive
- A cliffhanger that sets up the second half of the duology
Release Details
HarperCollins will publish Rider of Dragons on September 1, 2026. Hardcover, e-book, and audiobook editions are available for pre-order through major retailers. No sequel title or date has been announced, but the concluding volume is already outlined, according to the author’s statement.
Jonathan P. Miller reported this exclusive reveal for News Of Losangeles.
