The Dragon Round

The Dragon Round

The Dragon Round was released in hardcover on July 19, 2016; it came out in trade paper back in in June 2017. For readers of Naomi Novik and Scott Lynch, it’s The Count of Monte Cristo with a dragon. You can buy a copy here. And you can get a review copy here, thanks to NetGalley.

Wow, do I love the cover by Torstein Nordstrand, which echoes the key art for Jaws and the opening shot of Star Wars. It’s brought so many people to the book.

Brief Description

A swashbuckling adventure with a dark side for fans of George R.R. Martin and Naomi Novik—when a ship captain is stranded on a deserted island by his mutinous crew, he finds a baby dragon that just might be the key to his salvation…and his revenge.

Full Description

He only wanted justice. Instead he got revenge.

Jeryon has been the captain of the Comber for over a decade. He knows the rules. He likes the rules. But not everyone on his ship agrees. After a monstrous dragon attacks the galley, the surviving crewmembers decide to take the ship for themselves and give Jeryon and his self-righteous apothecary “the captain’s chance”: a small boat with no rudder, no sails, and nothing but the clothes on his back to survive on the open sea.

Fighting for their lives against the elements, Jeryon and his companion land on an island that isn’t as deserted as they originally thought. They find a baby dragon that, if trained, could be their way home. But as Jeryon and the dragon grow closer, the captain begins to realize that even if he makes it off the island, his old life won’t be waiting for him and in order get justice, he’ll have to take it for himself.

From a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet and speculative short story writer, The Dragon Round combines a rich world, desperate characters, and gorgeous, literary fiction into a timeless tale of revenge.

Reviews and Blurbs

Publishers Weekly

Power’s promising first novel mixes dark naval adventure with classic fantasy in a tale of mutiny with a twist. Greed and politics conspire against Jeryon, captain of the ship Comber: his first and second mates have aspirations above their stations, and they somehow manage to survive a dragon attack. Instead of killing Jeryon outright, mutineers Livion and Solet put Jeryon in a dinghy with the ship’s apothecary, Everlyn, but give them no food or water, or even an oar. Chance will see them survive or die, leaving the mutineers with no blood on their own hands. Power adeptly mashes together Horatio Hornblower–style adventure with the art of training dragons and a hint of backstabbing treachery for a thoroughly enjoyable tale. Agent: Sydelle Kramer, Susan Rabiner Literary. (July)

“Power paints his scenes with vivid and meticulous detail, lending real force to the struggles his characters face, and takes his tale of revenge in unexpected and refreshing directions. Think you know where this story is going? Think again.”

“A brilliant story of dragons, trade, treachery, and the sea, told with scintillating immediacy—the best fantasy I’ve read in years.”

Library Journal

Jeryon has been captain of the Comber for over a decade. When his ship is attacked by a dragon, the crew mutinies and offload Jeryon and Everlyn, the vessel’s apothecary, onto a small boat with no rudder or sail. The two wash up on an island and discover a baby dragon. If they can train the creature, they may be able to make their way home. As Jeryon finally heads back to civilization, he knows that what awaits him will not be justice or rules but political intrigue and revenge. ­VERDICT Power’s debut brings to mind Naomi Novik’s “Temeraire” series, with its dragons and maritime themes, and will keep readers engrossed as they follow his protagonist’s quest for survival and vengeance.—KC

Booklist

This is a promising start to the series, and future books will hopefully…bring on more dragon showdowns.

“[The Dragon Round] had me hooked from the very beginning and didn’t let me go until the epic conclusion. Even then, it left me wanting more. . . . This book will appeal to many readers as it has the aspects of a murder mystery, a swashbuckling adventure, and a vengeance story all rolled into one.”

World Magazine“Drawing inspiration from The Count of Monte Cristo, Pushcart Prize nominee Stephen S. Power uses his poetic power to narrate a tale of a man living only for retribution. . . . Power contrasts the captain’s example of sacrifice, discipline, and honor with the self-interest, indolence, and infamy of his enemies. The captain’s primary motivation, revenge, leads to a surprising but fitting conclusion.”

The Dragon Round is the first of a series of at least three novels, the next to be called The Dragon Tower. This series, in fact, is the first of several, each of which will cover the major turning point events in human-dragon relations over the ages.