THE COLOR OF DRAGONS

Two orphaned teens are drawn to each other in a prequel to the Arthurian cycle.

A legend tells of a powerful magic yielder who will one day stand by a great king and ensure the kingdom’s survival. When Maggie discovers she has powers and that they are connected to the moon and to the feared draignochs that plague the kingdom, she hides behind Xavier, her surrogate father and traveling performer, hoping to pass him off as the real magician. When they are brought to the forbidding Walled City to present their magic before infamous King Umbert, Maggie becomes entangled with Griffin, the king’s champion draignoch slayer, who has conspicuous facial scars from his battles. As Maggie’s and Griffin’s lives collide, the kingdom’s ultimate fate hangs in the balance. Fantasy veteran Salvatore and debut young adult author Lewis collaborate in this brisk fantasy featuring magic, politics, and dragons, with a heavy dose of sweet romance on the side. The narrative switches between first person (Maggie) and third person (Griffin), and their voices skew young despite both being 17 and in contrast to the story’s overall heavy themes of violence (including a casually depicted sexual assault). Although the worldbuilding is superficially fleshed out and the ending rushed, the two main characters are well developed, and the story entertains. Main characters are assumed White; a slur for Roma people appears twice in the narrative.

A fast-paced fantasy with elements of romance and violence.