The Dragon Round by Stephen S. Power

The Dragon Round

Author: Stephen S. Power
Title: The Dragon Round
Series: The Dragon Round
Genre: High Fantasy
Pairing: M/F
Rating: Four Petals

On the Author's Website:
http://stephenspower.com/novels/

Summary:

A swashbuckling adventure with a dark side for fans of George R.R. Martin and Naomi Novik—when a ship captain is stranded on a deserted island by his mutinous crew, he finds a baby dragon that just might be the key to his salvation…and his revenge.

He only wanted justice. Instead he got revenge.

Jeryon has been the captain of the Comber for over a decade. He knows the rules. He likes the rules. But not everyone on his ship agrees. After a monstrous dragon attacks the galley, the surviving crewmembers decide to take the ship for themselves and give Jeryon and his self-righteous apothecary “the captain’s chance”: a small boat with no rudder, no sails, and nothing but the clothes on his back to survive on the open sea.

Fighting for their lives against the elements, Jeryon and his companion land on an island that isn’t as deserted as they originally thought. They find a baby dragon that, if trained, could be their way home. But as Jeryon and the dragon grow closer, the captain begins to realize that even if he makes it off the island, his old life won't be waiting for him and in order get justice, he’ll have to take it for himself.

From a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet and speculative short story writer, The Dragon Round combines a rich world, desperate characters, and gorgeous, literary fiction into a timeless tale of revenge.

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Maggie's Rating: Four Petals

Maggie's Review:

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Dragon Round is an elaborate and beautifully descriptive story that gripped my interest from the first word all the way to the very end.  Jeryon was captain of his own ship until his crew committed mutiny and he ended up marooned on the island.  The plot only grew in depth and complexity from there with twists and turns that kept me turning the pages even when I had other things to be doing. 

The best part of this story is definitely the dragons.  The descriptions of their bodies, from details like how they darken to black with age, to how valuable their bones are, were amazingly done.  I thought the baby dragon was cute and the way Jeryon had to learn to interact with dragons was beautifully crafted. 

My only complaint about this story is the language used.  For example, when Jeryon is on his ship in the beginning of the story he used terms to describe the ship that went right over my head.  I admit to my ignorance about boats in general, but at times it also felt like he was using words specifically crafted for the wonderful world he created in this book.  Using those words without more than the context of the sentence to give me a definition made the book a bit difficult to read.  It also gave the story another level of authenticity--and I don't mind digging out a dictionary to look up a few new words--but it felt a touch excessive at times. 


Maggie's Recommendation:

The Dragon Round is a beautifully written book with dragons that kept my interest for the entire story.  I enjoyed the plot and the twists and turns a lot, but I found the descriptive language to be a touch excessive.  I do recommend this story.