Dragonslayer

Hamilton (The Blood Debt) puts his own spin on the classic man vs. dragon story in this strong fantasy trilogy opener. Guillot “Gill” dal Villerauvais was once a hero in Mirabaya but is now a drunken country lord. He’s disgruntled when Nicholas dal Sason, messenger from King Boudain the Tenth and Prince Bishop Amaury dal Richeau, comes to summon Gill to court. Before they leave Villerauvais, though, Gill witnesses the depredations of a dragon, unheard of in his time. Vowing to return with reinforcements, Gill and Nicholas travel to the capital, along the way rescuing Solène, a young woman who’s about to be burned as a witch. Solène is quickly recruited by the unscrupulous Prince Bishop into his secret Order of the Golden Spur, a force of mages and soldiers that he hopes to use to spread his power. Meanwhile, Gill and Nicholas take a squad of Spurriers to confront the dragon, who, unbeknownst to them, has his own reasons for his sudden assault on the kingdom. Hamilton successfully mixes swords, sorcery, and skullduggery with complex characters. Dumas fans will especially appreciate the faux-French setting. This is pure adventure fun with plenty for epic fantasy readers to enjoy. Agent: DongWon Song, Howard Morhaim Literary. (July)