DRAGON RIDER by Taran Matharu

The descriptive writing style gradually reveals a fascinating world filled with cutthroat politics, diverse creatures, and a creative magic system. While the intricate world-building details cause the first half of the story to drag, the writing is smooth and vivid, making it easy to get lost in the narrative. Only the occasional gore or sexual detail seemed off-putting and excessive.

THE LAST BLOODCARVER by Vanessa Le

A simple, casual writing style with good prose and details smoothly brings this story to life. I was particularly impressed by the bloodcarving ability of the main character, which was brilliantly presented and explored. However, the worldbuilding felt somewhat thin and underdeveloped, especially since some concepts, like the constabulary, were mentioned but played no role in the story.