Eon knows his chance of becoming the Rat Dragoneye is almost nonexistent. Crippled by an old injury, he can scarcely manage the sword forms Dragoneye candidates perform. More importantly, everybody knows that Dragons won't choose girls, and that’s just what Eon is, though he—she—has been in disguise for so many years she barely remembers what it means to be female. Indeed, the Rat Dragon doesn't choose Eon; the Mirror Dragon, lost for more than 500 years, chooses him instead. Raised instantly from slave to lord, Eon is thrust into deadly court politics. In a fantasy world loosely and uneasily based on Imperial China, Eon’s unexpected presence disturbs those who would overthrow the Emperor. Fast-paced excitement carries Eon through this tension-packed adventure, where victory can only come with self-knowledge. It’s too bad this excellent portrayal of a disabled action-heroine concludes by retroactively turning disability into a metaphor for ignorance. Nonetheless, this adventure, filled with intrigue, friendships, combat and magical allies, is a winner. (Fantasy. 12-14)
