Dragon Champion

October 31, 2005
Knight, best known for his Vampire Earth mass market series (Tale of the Thunderbolt
, etc.), makes an auspicious trade paper debut with this smoothly written fantasy told from the point-of-view of its dragon hero. Four dragon hatchlings, flameless and dependent on their father to bring home horses and even men as food, face a host of dangers, including fierce dwarves who invade their cave. Only Auron, the pride of the litter, will survive to fight those determined to drive his breed to extinction. Some flat poetry that poses no threat to Tolkien only slightly slows the brisk pace of this bloody, unsentimental fairy tale.

Starred review from December 1, 2005
Born without scales or the hunger for gold, the gray dragon Auron escapes the catastrophe that kills his parents and his siblings. Trying to make his way in the Upper World, Auron finds unusual friends in a dwarven child and an elusive green female dragon who falls captive to a power-hungry mage seeking to enslave all dragons to his will. Auron's destiny leads him to a confrontation with the mage and a new beginning for dragons. The author of the -Vampire Earth - series has crafted a series opener with a refreshingly new protagonist who views the world from a draconic, rather than a human, perspective. A fine addition to most fantasy collections.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.