The Dragon Delasangre

Starred review from March 1, 2002
Peter DelaSangre lives in seclusion with his father on an island off the coast of Florida. They have good reason for their isolation: Peter and his father are dragons. Capable of taking human form, they have built a successful business in Florida, run by humans they control but don't trust. Peter and his father feed on humans, but do so stealthily, so as not to draw attention to themselves. But when Peter brings a young woman named Maria to the island in secret and kills her to avoid having her discover that he is a dragon, he draws the suspicion of her brother, Jorge. Peter is distracted, however, by his father's death and the scent of a female dragon who possibly could become his mate. When he at last finds this female dragon, Elizabeth, he fights for her and wins her as his bride. Jorge's relentless search for his sister and the treachery of someone working at Peter's company dog the young couple, and Elizabeth is perplexed by Peter's unwillingness to merely do away with his human enemies. The tension builds as a mysterious further enemy becomes a real threat to the dragons. An exciting, inventive, unique novel with, in Peter, a surprisingly sympathetic protagonist. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)