By Dave Lawson

Blurb:

Red Dragons. Black Comedy. White-Knuckled Adventure.

Viktor’s magic is turning him into a dragon. And it’s not pretty.

To save his friends who’ve bumbled into a deadly ambush, Viktor draws too deeply on the power of the Dragon Well, and now a magical tumor has begun to change him…one scale at a time.

Viktor sets off on an irreverent quest for a cure that will lead him to a remote sanitarium. Here, he will uncover a mad doctor’s strange experiments, a stubborn dwarf with stinky feet, and rumors of an ancient mirror that may hold the key to Viktor’s very survival.

As a mustache-twiddling secret society of dragon fanatics closes in, Viktor must choose between the power his transformation offers, and the hope of finding a cure.

To the fabled Tyrant’s Tomb, Viktor races the mysterious Thule Society, where deadly traps and cryptic puzzles protect a treasure of unspeakable power. With every heartbeat the tumor’s corruption spreads. Can a court dandy and a disgraced scholar help Viktor find his cure? Or is it too late to save the city from a mad doctor’s dark designs?

Review: 

Imagine a world where using too much power gives you magical cancer, creating dragon tumors that not only turn you into a social pariah but also promise certain death within a few years. That’s the world Viktor lives in. And after a heroic moment in battle, he finds himself with a tumor, disgraced, and forced to leave behind everything he knows in the search for a cure. 

A great set up, right? 

Jordan Loyal Short does an excellent job with Viktor. He’s a complex character who has distinct needs and finds himself in several situations along the way that allow some character growth. More time could be spent on Viktor’s emotional reactions to several dark events that occur along the way, but the book focuses more on moving the rollicking plot forward rather than delving into emotions. 

 The other two main POV characters are a bit of a mixed bag. Izola, a scholar who gets involved with the quest, has an interesting backstory and I was quickly invested in her plights. However, Devin, the third main character, was the opposite. I found his sections difficult to get through, and often somewhat disconnected from the story. Usually I love the witty court dandy character, but I think I was so invested in Viktor’s story that, whenever I reached one of Devin’s POVs, I found myself hoping it wouldn’t last long. As the book goes on, Devin’s sections intertwine with the others and it all makes sense, but I still liked him least of the three.  

Loyal Short has a good eye for description, bringing this gaslamp fantasy setting to life. There was a distinct Victorian, pseudo-German style to the setting, and I really enjoyed the world. Two nations at war with deep-seated prejudices, dragon cults, the wealthy preening about engaging in frivolities, and scientific facilities engaged in nefarious activities. There’s a complex magic system hinted at, but I expect more of that will be revealed in future books in the series. 

While this is not a perfect book, the humor and world-building outweigh the sometimes clunky prose and pacing concerns. If you’re looking for a fun read with intrigue, evil cults, and dick jokes, then look no further. This book is perfect for fans of fantasy adventure, especially readers who like some humor in their books. 

 I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series!