Tom Doherty Associates, 2025. 167 pages. Fantasy.
The masked guildknight--Yeva--was thirteen when she killed her first dragon. With her gift revealed, she was shipped away to the imperial capital to train in the rare art of dragon-slaying. Now a legendary dragon hunter, she has never truly felt at home--nor removed her armor in public--since that fateful day all those years ago. Yeva must now go to Quanbao, a fiercely independent and reclusive kingdom. It is rumored that there, dragons are not feared as is right and proper, but instead loved and worshipped. It is rumored that there, they harbor a dragon behind their borders. While Yeva searches for the dreaded beast, she is welcomed into the palace by Quanbao's monarch, Lady Sookhee. Though wary of each other, Yeva is shocked to find herself slowly opening up to the beautiful, mysterious queen. As they grow closer, Yeva longs to let Lady Sookhee see the person behind the armor, but she knows she must fulfill her purpose and slay the dragon. Ultimately, she must decide who--or what--she is willing to betray: her own heart, or the sacred duty that she has called home for so long.
A dedicated dragon slayer loses herself throughout years as the empire's weapon, until a new assignment sends her closer to her hometown than she has been in years. In this new kingdom that brings up so many memories of her former life she must decide who she truly is . . . and fall in love, and try new familiar foods, and relearn the language of her childhood. I picked this up for the dragons and stayed for the beautiful portrayal of someone returning to their home after being long displaced. If you are interested in a new take on dragons, stories about reconnecting to your culture, and/or sapphic love stories consider this short and fast paced book.
If you like Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame, you might also like:
By Jenn Lyons
Tor, 2024. 433 pages. Fantasy.
Anahrod lives only for survival, forging her own way through the harsh jungles of the Deep with her titan drake by her side. Even when an adventuring party saves her from capture by a local warlord, she is eager to return to her solitary life. But this is no ordinary rescue. It's Anahrod's past catching up with her. These cunning misfits-and their frustratingly appealing dragonrider ringleader-intend to spirit her away to the dragon-ruled sky cities, where they need her help to steal from a dragon's hoard. There's only one problem: the hoard in question belongs to the current regent, Neveranimas-and she wants Anahrod dead.
Tor, 2024. 167 pages. Fantasy.
Maddileh is a knight. There aren't many women in her line of work, and it often feels like the sneering and contempt from her peers is harder to stomach than the actual dragon slaying. But she's a knight, and made of sterner stuff. A minor infraction forces her to redeem her honor in the most dramatic way possible, she must retrieve the fabled Fireborne Blade from its keeper, legendary dragon the White Lady, or die trying. If history tells us anything, it's that "die trying" is where to wager your coin.
KJ
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