Mistress of Dragons

April 28, 2003
Best known for her successful partnership with Tracy Hickman (Dragons of the Vanished Moon, etc.), Weiss launches a new series on her own that's sure to please high fantasy fans. In the world of Dragonvald, an ancient race of dragons with its own parliament has kept apart from the race of men and refrained from meddling in their affairs. Since a renegade dragon, Maristara, seized the human realm of Seth three centuries earlier, an Amazonian order of priestesses with magical powers and the Mistress of Dragons have kept the peace. But evidence that Maristara and a partner-in-crime have indulged in their taste for human flesh means renewed trouble. Draconas, who can change into a man, sets forth into human territory to resolve the problem. The ensuing conflicts and complications, as Draconas learns the true identity of the Mistress of Dragons, will keep readers turning the pages. A cliffhanger ending, involving the birth of a part-dragon human baby, will leave them eager for the next installment. Author tour.

Starred review from April 15, 2003
The laws established by the Parliament of Dragons, an ancient and secret institution composed of the elder from each of the 12 houses of dragons, forbid interference with human affairs and the taking of human life. Humanity, however, knows nothing of this and lives in fear of dragons. In the mountains overlooking the city of Seth stands a monastery in which live the Mistress of Dragons and her priestesses, defended by fierce female warriors. Draconas, a dragon who has shape-changed into human form to walk among humans and keep an eye on their doings, is charged by the parliament to deal with a renegade dragon, who has broken the laws and established herself as ruler of Seth, with the further intent of conquering the world. With his dragon and human personas often in conflict with each other, Draconas is a particularly well-developed character, flexible enough to bend the laws to carry out his mission. Full of intrigue, magic, and violence, this first book of Dragonvald--a projected trilogy chronicling the battle to preserve the uneasy relationship between dragons and humans--launches the project powerfully. Weis has brilliantly conceived a world viable for both dragons and humans. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)