Dragonmark

Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series continues with this somewhat grim but nonetheless delightful 27th installment. The dragons have been around since before humans kept recorded history. Illarion is one of them. He has lived through being tortured and having his voice stolen by the humans he’s come to hate. He is quite content to live in solitude, venturing only occasionally among humans, until he meets Edilyn, the only person who ever showed him kindness. Their bond is strong and quick to develop, but a betrayal by someone close to Edilyn sets in motion a series of events that may tear them apart. Any installment in a long-running series will be burdened with history and relationships that cannot be condensed into a few pages, and new readers will be lost. However, the well-developed interactions between Edilyn and Illarion add a layer of enjoyment for longtime fans. The story takes an abrupt and rather confusing turn halfway through, but the subsequent action and adventure more than make up for the incongruity. The novel stands on its own merits, but it’s clear this is a transition piece, leading much deeper into the larger plot arc. Agent: Robert Gottlieb, Trident Media Group. (Aug.)