Another Fine Myth

Just wanted to let you all know, I just got back from the most amazing place: the Bazaar on Deva. I believe P.T. Barnum described it best: "The wonders of the ages assembled for your edification, education, and enjoyment--for a price." (chapter 17 header) You had better be prepared to haggle fiercely. Be sure to check often that you haven't lost any arms or legs. And if you think you got a good deal, be wary. Those Deveels are wily sharpsters. And don't feed a dragon (or let it nibble your clothes) unless you are buying it; they become attached after feeding.

Ok, so I didn't really go anywhere physically. I picked up a book. Robert Asprin's Another Fine Myth, book one of an entertaining fantasy series. The tagline on the cover is "Take the universe as it is. Add devils, dragons, and magic. Then stand back." My addition would be: "and let the hilarity ensue."

The Myth books follow Skeeve, Aahz and other friends they pick up along the way. Skeeve begins as a magician's apprentice on Klah. Yes, that means he's a Klahd, poor kid. To motivate Skeeve into practicing more, Garkin sets up a demonstration. He will summon a demon: powerful, cruel, and vicious. Too bad for Skeeve that his master is a bit of a practical joker. Too bad for Garkin that an assassin from his old enemy, Isstvan, finds him in the middle of the summons.

Skeeve is left facing a green scaled, purple tongued demon. One who finds his panicked reaction highly amusing. After explaining that he was an old buddy of Garkin's and that being a demon simply meant dimension traveler--the summoning being a joke between them--Aahz takes control of investigating Garkin's murder. And then finds out the joke had been on him as well. Garkin had taken away Aahz's powers during the summoning. And all Skeeve can do is levitate small objects and light a candle, barely. What's a Prevect to do? Why, take over the training of a fledgling magician, of course.

Imps, Deveels, and dragons, oh my. Can Skeeve learn magik fast enough to survive an angry mob, merchants on Deva, and a demon intent on dimension domination? Read Another Fine Myth to find out. Oh and watch out for Gleep's breath. To say that Skeeve's pet baby dragon has bad breath is an understatement.

Month of the Dragon

This October will be Dragon Month to honor the lovely Azuranna who has opened her library to visitors for the first time in centuries. Just starting the party a bit early. Don't mind the leprechauns doing jigs in the rafters. Dragonhunters, remember that Azuranna is off limits. You really don't want to set off the fire lizard alarm.

To commemorate the occasion, a tidbit about dragons themselves. Depending on the world or culture they originate, they may take on different forms and sizes. They don't even all breathe fire or have wings. Some are even shapeshifters. The one thing held in common is that they are reptilian in nature, most often referenced as serpentine.

Dragons are a common fixture in fantasy stories. However, their presence is not limited to children's fairy tales or even just to fantasy. They appear in mythologies around our world, in science fiction, adult fantasy, and more. Dragons range in intelligence, sentience, and alignment. That's right; they aren't all evil. In some stories, dragons have their own societies filled with an assortment of good, bad, and misunderstood members.

I will try to go into more detail later this month, once I find where the pixies hid the dragon scrolls.

A sampling of books featuring dragons in some form:
Another Fine Myth (and other Myth books) by Robert Asprin
Dealing With Dragons (and the other Enchanted Forest Chronicles) by Patricia Wrede
Dragon on a Pedestal (and other Xanth books) by Piers Anthony
Dragon Slippers (and the rest of the trilogy) by Jessica Day George
Dragonflight (and other Pern books) by Anne McCaffrey
Dragonlance novels by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
The Dragons Are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky
Dragon's Blood (and the other Pit Dragon books) by Jane Yolen
Elvenbane (and the other Half-Blood Chronicles) by Andre Norton
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
Flight of the Dragonn Kyn by Susan Fletcher
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville
Joust (and the other Dragon Jouster books) by Mercedes Lackey
Monster's Legacy by Andre Norton
Song In the Silence by Elizabeth Kerner
Split Heirs by Lawrence Watt-Evans

Some of these books and any new additions to my have-read list will be given a closer look throughout this month. My review on Dragon Slippers will be featured on The Sharp Angle Monday. My first guest appearance. How exciting! I hope to see you there.

Welcome

Welcome to the library of the dragon.

I have a long standing passion with fantasy and science fiction. Music, art, books, movies, whatever the art form, there is something alluring about delving into the mystique of strange worlds. Even the ones very much like our own have their own remarkability.

Here you will topics ranging from reviews of F/SF works, biographies of those who craft them, the creation process, and features of our own history, culture, and science that catch my eye which may provide a source of inspiration for other followers of fantasy and science fiction.

Be careful not to step on the sprites while you peruse the shelves; they tend to get giddy when visitors arrive. Spacesuits will be waiting by the portal to other dimensions should you need them. And you are always welcome to join the dragon for tea.