Dragon bones by Patricia Briggs

As a fan of Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series, I was interested to pick up her early series and I was not disappointed. Ward of Hurog has pretended to be stupid, ever since his abusive father almost killed him. A very tall, large man it has been easy for him to play the fool, duping his family and members of the Hurog household. However, when his father dies, he must hold onto his kingdom by proving that he is worthy and sets off with a party of supporters to a war at the border to show that he is capable of leading Hurog. But Ward has enemies who want the dragon bones that are hidden under Hurog Keep and he must not only prove himself but keep his enemies at bay.

In her short (295 pages) high fantasy, Briggs packs in well developed characters, setting and action. Ward is an engaging hero, who narrates his journey in the first voice, alternating with occasional chapters that relate to what is happening in the court. In this way the reader is introduced to all the key players in the story. Briggs is an adept author and it was easy to follow who was who and to visualise the events in Hurog Keep and the King’s court. The theme of abuse is strong, with Ward and his brother and sister being abused terribly by their father and this may make it unsuitable for younger readers. For those who enjoy romance with their fantasy, there is  a slight romance that is likely to develop in the next in the series.

Overall, I found Dragon Bones difficult to put down because I was vested in finding out how Ward would manage in his difficult quest. I immediately began the second in the duology, Dragon Blood. Certainly, this is a novel for fans of Patricia Briggs, high fantasy and dragons.

Themes: Fantasy, Court intrigue, Abuse, Dragons.

Pat Pledger