Dragon Latitudes
Series: Airship Dragons, #1
Author: Amy Campbell
Genre: Fantasy
Book Description:
As a dragon-hunter, he never imagined he’d be the one hunted – until a recruit tossed him overboard to prove that he was no different from the dragons they were after. And just like that, Elazar’s life changed forever.
Not for the better, by the way.
Now, Elazar grapples with his new dragon identity while his former crewmates, led by his aunt, the airship captain, are hot on his tail. They’re ready to avenge him by taking down the beast they believe is responsible.
You know, Elazar.
Lucky for him, his best friend and the jerk who threw him overboard are ready to help navigate this mess. Together, they’re on a quest to discover the truth about Elazar’s past and the dragon world’s secrets.
But it’s not that simple. They’re facing betrayal, treachery, and the Jade Empress’s wrath. And there’s a prophecy hanging over their heads. No pressure, right? It’s just a fate that could change history forever and kill everyone Elazar cares about.
So if you’re up for an adventure that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, join Elazar as he embraces his inner dragon and fights to protect those he loves. Because with the stakes this high, death isn’t just a possibility; it’s a looming threat.
Book Review:
Dragon Latitudes is definitely a Chosen One story, with a prophecy and everything, but one of the things I liked about it is that it didn’t feel like that. The stakes felt personal. The focus is on Elazar, figuring out how he’s going to fly and eat as a dragon, grumbling about how he’s a monster now, kind of ignoring the fact humans are monsters, too, and it’s on the other characters who have their lives tangled in this, too.
This is one that really makes you feel the lives of the people, as individuals who have their worlds disturbed. There’s a larger world out there, but the world we really get to see is Elazar’s, as his world is upended. Cailan’s, as he searches for who he is and proves that he can be more than a little bit of a jerk. Jo, Elazar’s aunt, as she lets grieve drive her places she really shouldn’t go. We see the way that what happens, and the whole thing about Elazar is supposed the prophesied Dragon Who Isn’t, affects them as people with their own lives that have nothing to do with prophecies.
I liked that, and how at times the story almost felt cozy. Not slow, or never for long. It’s actually a fairly wild ride and a lot happens. But that closeness. That feel of “these are people’s lives. These are ordinary people’s lives. Even if Elazar does happen to be the only known Gearweaver and a dragon to boot.”
There are a number of other neat things about the story and the world-building. It’s a neat touch how dragons have to eat hot foods (like the spicy sort of hot) to fly well, and I liked the aralez, a giant, winged dog with healing saliva. Among other things. There are lots of cool magical creatures, and it fits.
The story does have a few plot holes, though, or at least a number of things that aren’t explained. His aunt Jo found Elazar as a naked toddler. So how in the world does he have a chest? Where does that inheritance of his come from? And why does Chandra tell Belen about Cailan? There are a handful of times where it felt like things happened “just so” in order to create drama and action and make things go wrong, without being organic or real. They don’t usually rise to the level of plothole, but it’s like: why? I get it this could go wrong, but is there any reason for this to wrong in this way now? Sometimes, it was a tiny bit implausible. And sometimes it was just too hectic and forced to go hectic and wrong.
The characters are a mixed bag. Elazar’s aunt Jo cares for him fiercely, and I would have really liked to get to know and understand her better. As it is, though there are explanations for them, the things that make her who she is remain a little disjointed, and I don’t really get to see her.
Elazar has a lot about him that’s very likable, and he’s complex, too. He spends a lot of time trying to refuse the implications of what’s happened to him, he whines a fair amount but in a way that’s very human, and frankly it would not make sense for him not to. THIS IS NOT A BAD THING (in my opinion). He keeps a lot to himself and he’s very kind-hearted. I felt like, while none of the things about him are contradictory in an inhuman way, I never felt like I really knew him. I couldn’t get immersed in his experience or feelings, and he does not leap off the page either. Even though I really wanted to like him, and I did. But I felt kind of on the outside when it comes to him.
I don’t feel like I really know Cailan, either, but in this case that is expected from what I do know of Cailan. Cailan is a bag of contradictions, and he has no idea who he is. He seems to be incredibly selfish, and to act out of a mixed sense of physical self-preservation and an attempt to create or preserve a sense of his importance or value. Sometimes I can’t tell whether he’s compassionate or whether he’s a psychopath. Does he plan to use Elazar for his own ends and to gather his own power? To be honest, he acts like a bit of a psychopath more often than he acts compassionate, but he doesn’t really seem to want to cause suffering, though he’s often indifferent to it. Sometimes, I wonder if the compassion and care he feels, or seems to feel for others, like his mentor Chandra, is more of a front to keep him from considering what his real motivations might be and where he might be going, than genuine compassion. There’s a thread of that, but I wonder if it’s not the biggest thing, given the choices he makes with it. It feels also like he might be trying to absolve himself of guilt for compromising and being unwilling to suffer, by doing whatever he can to keep specific others from suffering.
I do warn you: it ends on a cliff-hanger, and not just the kind of cliff-hanger where you don’t know what horrible thing is going to happen next. In fact, it’s less one of those cliff-hangers, and more one where you are concerned that one of the characters is compromised and you don’t know what kind of a mess they will be part of or what horrible things they might be able to contribute to.
Enthralled By Love 