Kraken Rider Z (Dyrk Ashton) Books in Order

Kraken Rider Z is a fantasy adventure series by Dyrk Ashton and David Estes that asks a simple question: what happens when a boy who dreams of riding dragons becomes bonded to the one creature dragons fear most? The answer begins with Zee Tarrow, a young hull-scrubber from the island kingdom of Tosh, and Jessup, the baby kraken Zee chooses to save.

Krakens have been absent from the world for centuries. To the people of Tosh, they are creatures from frightening old tales, not animals a child should find, name, and protect in secret. But Zee's decision makes Jessup part of his life, and their growing friendship turns into something that could challenge Tosh's ideas about monsters, heroes, and who is allowed to belong.

Their bond is the center of the series.

Tosh is a place where the sea shapes everything. Ships need protection from pirates, enemy powers, and the dangers under the waves. Above them are the Royal Dragon Knights, whose riders train at Triumf's Citadel, the kingdom's elite academy. Zee has always wanted a place in that world, but his background and his impossible secret make the path much harder than he imagined.

The books mix academy training with nautical fantasy and progression-style growth. Zee and Jessup have to learn what they can do, how to work together, and whom they can trust. Along the way, the series brings in dragon riders, rivals, friends, sea creatures, and threats that grow beyond the private problem of keeping one kraken hidden.

It is an adventure with real danger, but it has a warmer and more hopeful feel than many high-stakes fantasy series. Zee is driven by his dream, while Jessup brings humor, curiosity, and a different kind of strength to their partnership. Their friendship gives the story its heart, especially as both of them grow from vulnerable outsiders into figures other people cannot ignore.

Kraken Rider Z starts the journey and introduces Tosh, the academy, and Zee's bond with Jessup. Thunder Kraken continues their training and raises the pressure around them. Read the books in order, since the second novel builds directly on what Zee and Jessup have already survived.