The Silent Dragon: Children of the Dragon Nimbus, Book 1

Radford returns to the fantasy setting of her Dragon Nimbus series with this middling tale of political intrigue and troubled young wizards. The magicians of cod-medieval Coronnan depend on dragons like the matriarch, Shayla, for their power. Kindly King Darville, holder of the Dragon Throne and Dragon Crown, rules Coronnan with the Council of Provinces, but can’t convince the council to allow the restoration of legal magic to the land, even though magic itself seems to be fading. Worse yet, the council wants him to marry off his 14-year-old daughter, Rosselinda, to get a male heir for the throne—increasingly important as near-deadly accidents begin to look like assassination attempts. Darville calls his bastard son, Glenndon, to court to stand as heir, but Glenn’s magical talent and inability to speak out loud make him a target. There’s nothing new, but undemanding fantasy fans will find Radford’s effort satisfactory. (Feb.)