In NICE DRAGONS FINISH LAST, Julius' mother is fed up with his lack of dragonish traits. He's not ambitious. Β He doesn't try to take things over. Β He's not sneaky and conniving. Β She bemoans that it's like Julius was born with no draconic instinct whatsoever, hiding in his room as soon as his dragon training sessions are finished.Β Julius's entire life strategy is:Β Β Stay out of the way of bigger dragons.Β Β His mother is the leader of the Heartstriker clan.Β Β Finally, in exasperation, his motherΒ seals Julius so he can't access his dragon powers and dumps him in the Detroit Free Zone, where dragons are killed on sight.
Having only one month to prove he is of value to Heartstriker before he loses his dragon powers forever, Julius meets with his brother Ian, who gets a job for him capturing Katya, the youngest dragon from another clan who is trying to escape her family.Β Β Julius doesn't want to capture her, but feels he has no choice.Β Β Julius is partially aided in his quest by his crazy older brother Bob, a Seer.Β Β Bob gives JuliusΒ his advice for the day:Β Β You must be a GENTLEMAN above all else, and a gentleman never refuses to help a desperate lady.Β
Leaving the meeting with his brother Ian, Julius meets Marci, who is running for her life from a thug who killed her father and is now after her to reclaim an ancient Mage tool.Β Β Marci is clearly desperate, and so Julius follows his brother Bob's advice and agrees to hire Marci as a mage.Β Β Marci and Ian set off to find Katya, stumbling into all sorts of magical and dragonish adventures along the way.Β Β There's high intrigue, some of it from places you'd never expect, and lots of double crossing too.Β I especially enjoyed the wonderful snarky humor that imbues NICE DRAGONS FINISH LAST with such vigor. Β
As the quest proceeds, Julius charmingly grows up and matures into himself.Β Β He fights magical creatures, unravels a sinister plot between dragon clans, and saves a new friend. Β He discovers he is valorous and honorable, definitely unusual characteristics for a dragon, and things that make the reader root hard for him. Β
NICE DRAGONS FINISH LAST is a strong opening for Aaron's new series, andΒ I can't wait for book two in this fantastic new series! Rachel Aaron also writes under the pen name Rachel Bach, and recently authored the fabulous Β Paradox books that have swept the sci fi scene. Β My love of Fortune's Pawn and its companion books led me to read NICE DRAGONS FINISH LAST, and now I'm hooked on this new series of hers as well.
As the smallest dragon in the Heartstriker clan, Julius
survives by a simple code: keep quiet, donβt cause trouble,
and stay out of the way of bigger dragons. But this meek
behavior doesn't fly in a family of ambitious magical
predators, and his mother, Bethesda the Heartstriker, has
finally reached the end of her patience.
Now, sealed in human form and banished to the DFZ--a
vertical metropolis built on the ruins of Old
Detroit--Julius has one month to prove that he can be a
ruthless dragon or kiss his true shape goodbye forever. But
in a city of modern mages and vengeful spirits where dragons
are considered monsters to be exterminated, heβs going to
need some serious help to survive this test.
He only hopes humans are more trustworthy than dragons...
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