DRAGON WEATHER

New fantasy from the author of Touched by the Gods (1997), etc. When dragons destroy the village of Obsidian on the Smoking Mountain, young Arlian is the sole survivor. Trapped beneath his grandfather’s body in a cellar, Arlian accidentally ingests a mixture of dragon venom and human blood, and thereby becomes a “dragonheart,” blessed with health and long life. But first he’s sold into slavery by the scavenging Lord Dragon and his henchmen. After many years, Arlian escapes from the slave mines and takes shelter in a brothel. The kindly inmates are slaves whose feet have been amputated to prevent their escape. Discovered at last by the madam, Arlian flees, but the owners, all Lords, kill or carry off the girls and burn the building. One day, Arlian vows, justice will be done. With gold stolen from a Lord’s hoard, he equips a wagon and joins a caravan heading for the distant Borderlands. Along the way, his companion, Black, teaches him to fight. After many adventures, Arlian returns with vast wealth. Several of his enemies, he discovers, belong to the Dragon Society—dragonhearts like himself—including his mortal enemy, Lord Dragon! The Society is dedicated to learning about dragons and sorcery, and all are sworn to share information. But Lord Dragon is holding out. How, for instance, did he know that the dragons were coming to destroy Obsidian? Often remarkably inventive, and commendably well organized: pity the implementation’s largely flat and mediocre.