“Nice Dragons Finish Last” by Rachel Aaron

I had this book recommended to me by a friend, and I wasn’t totally sure what to expect (not going to lie, I was in it for the dragons). The cover art’s nice, but it also has a YA vibe to it as well. Having said that, this was a great read and definitely one that I would recommend.

That was also the biggest thing that bothered me about the book. I couldn’t tell what the intended audience for the book was. It’s written with a style for YA readers, but the main character is 24 years old, and there are some adult elements and language in there. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it was a little strange to be reading this and not know where to place it.

As far as problems with books go though, that’s really not that big of a deal. The merits of this story outweigh the style issues (which you get used to as you go along).

The story combines elements of sci-fi with fantasy. The main character is a dragon, of course, and his best friend is a mage. But they’re also roaming around a city built over Detroit that was built when a meteor crashed into the earth in 2035 releasing magic back into the world. It’s a cool mix, works well for the story and gives it a modern feel.

There’s several references to other works in similar genres. Julius, the protagonist, describes a wardrobe as though it could lead to Narnia, and Bob quotes Star Wars at one point. There’s also the Lady of the Lakes, who rules Detroit, who reminds me of the Lady of the Lake who gave King Arthur a sword at one point, but that just might be me.

The nicest part of the book is the trope reversal that goes on. The two main characters are Julius and Marci, a dragon and a mage respectively. But their personalities are completely different from what you would expect. Julius never wants to get into a fight unless he absolutely has to, while Marci is the one eager to go in with guns blazing and take out someone. This is further extended by the fact that dragons are supposed to be manipulative and violent, which Julius is decidedly not. He grows into this throughout the course of the story, and it’s really well done overall.

The other characters are also quirky and amusing (think Rick Riordan-esque) and keep you interested in the magic going on within the pages.

Overall, it was a very nice read, and a good break from more serious novels that I’ve been reading. The best news is that the sequel “One Good Dragon Deserves Another” is coming out in August! So there’s that to look forward to!