I Read Books: City Of Dragons

 

City Of Dragons

Having found their way to the lost Elderling city of Kelsingra the Tarman expedition sets about trying to found a new home, for both dragons and their keepers. They’re stuck on the opposite side of the river, the docks being destroyed, the channel too deep and swift. One of the dragons has managed to learn to fly, and is now eating better. In theory she might be able to help hunt for the others but dragons are selfish creatures, especially when it comes to food.

There’s much to see on the other side when the keeper is able to fly himself and occasionally others across. But the small community is in a poor state, lacking tools and clothing after the flood wrecked much of their gear. The Tarman has to go back downriver.

Events have continued in the outer world. The Duke of Chalced, old, dying, his heirs all killed, wants dragon parts to heal him. They set a trap at an oasis where Tintaglia and IceFyre, the dragons from previous series, are hanging out during the winter. The dragons defeat them but Tintaglia gets an arrow wound that festers. Chalcedian agents have their hooks in more than one trader, including Hest, the husband and former lover of two of the expedition’s members.

The trip downstream is less difficult than up (and they know where they’re going). As expected the Trader council want the full logs and charts, but loopholes in the contract don’t require the captain to hand them over. And the hunter who was contracted to hand them over was a Chalcedian agent, and now dead; the captain and council find themselves at an impasse as they use loopholes to not pay up – at least for now. Instead the needed supplies are funded by the Elderlings Malta and Reyn, who head up river with Reyn’s sister who hopes to find a place where her bodily changes will be accepted. Or perhaps even enhanced by the dragons, some of whom are crafting their keepers into elderlings. Tarman is followed upriver by treasure hunters and others hoping to exploit Kelsingra; but then the volume ends because there’s another one for the finale.

Read This: Secrets of dragons and wicked plots
Don’t Read This: As the third in a four volume series, nothing starts, nothing ends