Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame

A dragon hunt goes awry in this sweet fantasy from Yang (The Genesis of Misery). Kunlin Yeva is 13 when she kills her first dragon and her proud parents send her to the Mithrandon guild to train as a dragon hunter. The decision tears Yeva away from everything she’s ever known and ultimately leads her parents to split up. Now a legendary hunter known as the guildknight, Yeva mourns her lost childhood and never removes her armor. When the emperor orders her to hunt down a dragon believed to be terrorizing the neighboring kingdom of Quanbao, Yeva has no choice but to go, though she knows that in Quanbao dragons are worshipped rather than feared. There, Yeva meets Quanbao’s girl-king, Lady Sookhee, and the women swiftly strike up a romance. When Yeva is tasked with guarding the entrance to the forbidden caverns beneath the palace, she discovers something that tests her loyalty both to her lover and to her guild. Yang seamlessly intertwines Yeva’s search for the dragon with her longing for the home she left behind. The result is a brisk and satisfying tale full of love, hope, and yearning. (May)