The Glass Dragon by Irene Radford

The Glass Dragon (The Dragon Numbus #1) by Irene Radford. New York: Daw Books, 1994. No ISBN listed.

While I'm on the subject of modern fantasy (although this book IS more than 10 years old), here is a classic example. Dragons are a favorite fantasy theme. In Radford's fantasy universe, dragons are somehow tied in with the kingdom of Coronnan's magic. The thesis as developed was just enough different from the usual to pique my interest initially. But ultimately, I found the story lacking.

What it was lacking was definition. In creating a fantasy universe, an author should create clear, clean rules by which the world and its magic work And then use those rules rigorously to create a plot that follows logically from them. Otherwise the book tends to just meander along, giving the reader the impression that much of the time the author is just making it up as s/he goes along. And that's the way I felt reading this story. Why was I not surprised to discover that this was the writer's first novel?

At any rate, even though my co-worker who lent me his copy offered me the second and third volumes in the series, I declined. There are just way too many other books higher up in priority on my “to read” list than these. Even though the author does think that the second volume: The Perfect Princess, is the best of the lot. Half-heartedly recommended for die-hard fantasy fans.