Anyone who’s read my previous reviews knows that I’m a fan of H. Leighton Dickson’s writing. Her prose is evocative and poetic, her stories and characters memorable and intricate. So it was only a matter of time before I got to her latest novel, Dragon of Ash & Stars. (Which boasts one of the best-looking covers I’ve seen in a great while.)

In this fantasy world, there are no horses, and little else in the way of domesticated animals of burden other than oxen. So the human inhabitants take to domesticating dragons instead. That sounds like a pretty fantastic concept in itself unless of course, you’re the dragon.

And that’s the point of view that Ms. Dickson’s novel takes. Reader’s view of this world is from the eyes of a rare black dragon who goes by many names throughout the story, but I’ll stick with Stormfall because that is the first name given to him.

The story depicts dragons as intelligent and cunning creatures, but like any other animal, they are unable to communicate through spoken language. So we are left with Stormfall’s intricate thoughts as he encounters birth, brief freedom, and then a young life of captivity as he goes from fishing dragon to farm dragon, bier dragon, pit fighter dragon, and finally as a Flight dragon, serving the Empire in aerial battle.

The key to the story is Stormfall himself, of course. As the narrator and main character, we spend the entire novel with him and experience everything from his perspective. Fortunately, he is worth journeying with. Fearless yet vain, proud but caring, he is both flawed and likable, a conflicted and sometimes contradictory narrator. Many times he affirms his cleverness and strength, yet is easily snared and subjected to domestication despite numerous opportunities to escape.

It helps that Ms. Dickson has a background in zoology, allowing her firsthand experience to allow an insight into the characteristics of domesticated and captive animals. That understanding allows her to craft a tale of a fierce creature that at the same time develops a bond with humans despite instances of captivity and cruel mistreatment. The tale of Stormfall is an engaging one, proving to be a page turner that I finished in just a few days. Highly recommended, and another triumph for H. Leighton Dickson.

Any interested can purchase the novel here.

When Bard Constantine isn’t obsessing over books and film, he’s pounding out tales of gritty futures and epic fantasy. Find out more at bardwritesbooks.com