Above all, the desert tasted loved. It was not a human love, smutty and dense and urgent, but a bubbling, laughing love that had its roots in the bedrock and arched as high as the sky. It felt like his love for his hoard—the love of a creature of spirit and elements. [loc. 54]
In which a dragon falls in love with a desert.
The dragon in question, Tarnamell, has been sleeping for centuries, since the last great battle between flame and shadow, dragons and demons. Humans have all but forgotten the dragons in their mountainous homeland: when Tarnamell, in human form, travels south towards the desert he glimpsed on his post-waking exploratory flight, his persona of 'Tarn Drake' provokes mockery from the others in the caravan which he's employed to guard.
It becomes evident that other forces are stirring in the land. There's no sign of the desert spirit which teased the dragon on his previous visit, and whose tricks the caravan crew recount affectionately. Instead, there's the rise of a repressive religion, and armies of zombies roam the desert. Only a secret enclave of warrior women, hidden outside time, can give Tarnamell the support -- and the devotion -- he needs. For a dragon's hoard is not cold metal, but human love.
This novel, first in a trilogy, is a fairly soft-focus m/m romance: it also features an array of pleasingly distinct queer characters, more strong women than you can shake a spear at, and intriguing glimpses of the other characters' histories. Durreson's prose is gentle and evocative, and the story's well-paced. Will read more.
No comments:
Post a Comment