 |
Dragon Weather | Rating | |
| A | |||
| Lawrence Watt-Evans | |||
| Series | Related Books | ||
| The Obsidian Chronicles | Dragon Weather, The Dragon Society, Dragon Venom | ||
When Arlian was eleven, his tiny village was destroyed by dragons for no reason. Human looters claimed all that was left- including Arlian himself, the only survivor. The young boy swore to enact justice on the greedy looters and even on the dragons themselves, but exactly how to do it is a very good question. Nobody has ever killed a dragon, and he knows nothing of how to fight even humans, or where to find those specific people who wronged him. Worst of all, he is a slave, and slaves don't get much chance for payback. He does, however, have one thing on his side: he has drunk dragon venom, which gives him a supernaturally long lifespan and health, among other things. He just has to put it to use.
The book is a striking change from Watt-Evans' usual fare. The setting is very, very dark. Slavery is common and slaves having no rights whatsoever, including the right not to be maimed. People die, even some we are made to care for. There is no major character, including Arlian, who is a paragon of virtue.
Watt-Evans takes his time with this story. The book starts off almost immediately with a dragon attack, but then lags a bit as we see Arlian years later as a slave. It isn't until well after he has gotten free that things start getting truly interesting, and the plot remain unaddressed for about half the book. It is all important and most of it interesting, however, and reading it could hardly be considered a chore.
But the story's greatest strength is in the wonderful moral fable it provides. Arlian has been wronged, yes, unquestionably so. But is death truly the only punishment that can satisfy his thirst for revenge? Does everyone he vowed to kill truly deserve it? Not all of them stayed cutthroats and villains in the years he was a slave. At what point is forgiveness possible? The author raises these questions, and shows Arian's answers. But he very carefully points out that they might not have been the right path to take. For a good portion of the latter half of the book, readers may reconsider cheering him on! It is a significant minority of tales that can raise such issues so well.
This is definitely a book to look out for. The setting is original, as well, not just any old country with any old name. This is different and unique, as are the dragons themselves. Combined with the moral aspects and simply good storytelling, I'd highly recommend this story to any fantasy fan.
| By Title | By Author | By Rank |