Returner’s Wealth

Stewart and Riddell (the Edge Chronicles) launch the Wyrmeweald trilogy with this intriguing take on dragons, set in a fantasy world where so-called wyrmes have value, but hunting them is a deadly proposition. Seventeen-year-old Micah ventures into the wyrmeweald, determined to bring back enough wealth to set himself up as a lord and woo the noblewoman he loves. Instead, he forms a tentative partnership with Eli Halfwinter, a hermit who shows him how to survive in the wilderness, and (later) Thrace, an enigmatic and dangerous young woman who has bonded with a mighty whitewyrme. Romance and adventure go hand in hand as the members of this fragile team overcome their differences to protect the wyrmeweald against those who would despoil it. Originally published in the U.K., the story is fast-paced, full of gorgeous imagery and haunting moments, and enhanced by thin vertical panels of intricate art that bring the scenes and creatures to life. It’s a fresh angle on an old favorite, with plenty of crossover appeal. Books two and three, Bloodhoney and The Bone Trail, are available simultaneously in paperback and digital formats. Ages: 13–up. (Sept.)