How to Drive a Dragon Crazy by
G.A. Aiken
My rating:
5 of 5 stars
Cadwaldr, meet NolwennI started out thinking the story of Izzy and her blue-haired dragon obsession might be a little standard, but would still be fun. Definitely not standard; definitely fun.
The tales of the Cadwaldrs, the royals - dragon and human - the intrigue, the battles, the magic, the twists and turns, make this one of my absolute favourite series. The snark, the warmth, the humour, are bonuses - G.A. Aiken/Shelly Laurenston can write dialogue like few others. Her action scenes are like watching a fight on screen - raw power, fluid movement, step-by-step without dragging, detailed enough to build a picture while adding enough adrenaline to make one's heart race and muscles tense in sync with the pace of the scene.
Izzy has always been one of my favourites - warrior women always are - and so has Èibhear, aside from a few bratty episodes in the last book (Keita and Ragnar's story). Like all the books in this series, however, while there is a wooing, the stories of others - of the family - come into play throughout. Yes, Izzy and Èibhear are the focus, but the Cadwaldrs, the royal grandchildren, the dragon siblings and their human - and dragon - mates, and sundry other groups continue their lives alongside. It's all building and even though each book has its own climax, there's a bigger plot afoot (of course).
I do wish there was book telling the tale of the battles mentioned at the end of Keita's story, particularly since many outcomes are mentioned in this book. Perhaps it's tied up in the story of a non-Southlands dragon? Perhaps part of Rhona's story? How to Drive a Dragon Crazy is set 10 years after The Dragon Who Loved Me, and a fair amount has happened in that time.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Mí-Runach, Izzy's family, and, of course, Macsen. Particularly his interactions with Éibhear. The Cadwaldr brothers were far more annoying toward Éibhear in this book, though I enjoyed the outcomes, on the whole - especially since one of my favourite scenes early in the books was Éibhear not understanding why he kept getting hit in the head by his brothers.
I've been reading in published order but now have to go back and read in chronological order and see whether that gives time to continue the story or if I should move to another series - perhaps Aiken's series wtitten under Shelly Laurenston. They're equally good, and good for people like me, who prefer characterisation and character interaction over plot (though plot there is), with lots of humour, action, exaggeration and a hefty dose of optimism and emotion thrown in. Oh, and sex. Hot, fun sex. And profanity. Don't forget the profanity.
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