The Dragons of Nova

In this muted second book in the Loom trilogy (following The Alchemists of Loom), Kova’s steampunk-edged fantasy lags into dreary repetition. Above the world of Loom float the Islands of Nova, home of the dragons that rule over the earthbound humans called Fenthri. The Fenthri have advanced mechanical knowledge, but their guns and bombs are no match for dragon magic. Fenthri Arianna and dragon Cvareh have made an abrupt departure from Loom via glider, and now Arianna is learning what the higher half of the world looks like. The islands are brilliantly light-bathed, and their architecture defies gravity, but Arianna is allowed to see little of them. She and Cvareh are here to find the essence that powers the Philosopher’s Box, which will help them liberate the Fenthri from dragon rule, but they must conduct their search while concealing Cvareh’s trip to Loom from dragon king Yveun Dono, who kills on a whim. Too much of the story is spent waiting for something to happen, and both dragon and Fenthri characters tend toward the insufferable. (July)