Solid worldbuilding, cool conception of dragons and rider-dragon interaction, and lots and lots of adventure. This series has just about everything a fantasy fan looks for. I gave this and the other books in the series four stars, because, although I remember enjoying the read, I forgot almost all of it except for one explicitly sexual scene involving dragon riders and dragons that made my 16-year-old self extremely uncomfortable (not sure if in this book or in one of the others). I am not sure today's audience would take it well, but if that sounds tolerable to you, it is still a very entertaining and believable series.