Day of the Dragon

MacAlister’s second Dragon Hunter paranormal (after Memoirs of a Dragon Hunter) contains elements of humor but suffers from shallow characterization and a wafer-thin plot. Thaisa, a meek academic in her early 30s, is quite content to do odd jobs in a California curiosities shop. One night, she finds two men there after closing, bent on acquiring part of an old manuscript. The men, cousins Archer and Miles, reveal to her that dragons—and dragon shape-shifters—really exist. Archer, leader of the storm dragons, is at war with his twin brother Hunter’s shadow dragons. Dragons of both tribes are dying, so the race is on to find a medallion that will supposedly end the contention. In a heartbeat, Thaisa leaps into Archer’s arms, flings her self-esteem issues to the wind, and becomes an action heroine. MacAlister includes plenty of her trademark humor and over-the-top situations, but the convoluted, sometimes clichéd story lacks cohesion and solid character development, making it confusing for both fans and newcomers. (This edition includes a bonus novel by Celia Kyle not seen by PW.) Agent: Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Literary. (Mar.)