There be dragons of all spots and stripes in this solid anthology from editor Kaye (The Vampire Sextette
), showcasing original fantasy novellas by five of the biggest names in the genre. In Orson Scott Card's uneven "In the Dragon's House," a Bradburyesque gingerbread gothic, a lonely orphan named Michael discovers a magical but somewhat sinister "dragon" in the old mansion he lives in with other disenfranchised children. Elizabeth Moon's "Judgment" is a wise, Tolkien-toned piece, complete with dwarves and stolen eggs that contain powerful "pretties" capable of turning villagers into dragons. Tanith Lee's gorgeous "Love in a Time of Dragons," the volume's single erotic entry, tells the tale of an abused servant who falls in love with a dragon ring. The most satisfying of the lot is Mercedes Lackey's "Joust," which she later expanded to a novel by the same name. The determination of Vetch, Lackey's serf turned dragon-boy, to escape from a war-torn land echoes the theme of Michael Swanwick's more sophisticated but extremely dark "King Dragon." Swanwick delivers the most chilling dragon, a warship with a monster's mind who tries to enslave Will, another boy transformed by revolution. Kaye obligingly recommends a range of dragon-related novels, films and Web sites in his afterword. Agent, Kathy Kiernan at Bookspan Inc.
(May 5)
Forecast:
Given the juvenile protagonists of all but one of these stories, this anthology should reach a teen audience as well. Stephen Hickman's interior illustrations reinforce the YA aspect.
