Dragon's Tongue

by Laura J. Underwood

Alaric Braidwine, young mageborn bard in training, has no idea that he's about to become part of a legend. Traveling to Dun Gealach to learn magecraft under the Council of Mageborn, he finds himself drawn into a fiendish plot by a blood mage who wants to be a god.Alaric gets into more trouble than he ever dreamed possible for when he is accused of smuggling a demon into Dun Gealach, he becomes the target of the High Mage's wrath. His only friends...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1937105849
• ISBN13: 9781937105846
• Release Date: June 2016
• Publisher: Yard Dog Press
• Length: 438 Pages
• Weight: 1.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

I liked it pretty well.

Really, I did enjoy it, and I do plan to buy the sequel, especially as this book felt very much like the whole point was to get Alaric bonded to the demon and off on his way to adventuring. I'm only holding back a star because I wished for a little more depth from some of the characters. I can forgive Alaric for being rather callow; despite being twenty, the author explains that the mageborn are much slower to mature. Fenelon was also pretty childish, in that he had to needle and taunt everyone, all the time, even when it was clearly to no one's advantage. His uncle, Turlough, came across as a petty, greedy tyrant, when a case could be made for him having a genuine concern about Alaric, especially after he's demon-bonded. Worst of all though, the villian, Tane Doran, came across as very cartoonish. He was just purely evil for the sake of power. Apparently he is descended from 'Dark Ones', which to me implies a lack of free will about being good or evil. Only the demon, Vagner, grows much as a character. It's a minor nitpick; the overall story is very interesting. There were lots of hints that the next book should let Alaric grow up and become more nuanced as a person. I have high hopes.

Very enjoyable

If you've not read any of Laura's work before, this is an excellent place to start. DRAGON'S TONGUE exists as part of a much larger world-in-development, and other novels and stories have been published in this world already (at later points in its history), but this book is where it all starts. DRAGON'S TONGUE and its sequel, WANDERING LARK (which should be out in '07), provide the origin of an epic saga that will continue for many years. DT focuses on the lives of and the relationship between a teacher and his pupil. Fenelon Greenfyn, a rather notorious rogue who sits on the Coucil of Mageborn, is given the task of tutoring a young bard called Alaric Braidwine, who isn't overly happy to have discovered his mageborn talents. Alaric was trained as a bard by the legendary Ronan Tey, a friend of his family. As Alaric arrives at Dun Gealach to begin his studies of magecraft, evidence crops up that he has smuggled a demon into the heavily-guarded premises. The demon in question is Vagner, in the 'employ' of Tane Doran, a blood mage seeking an extraordinary power. The key to this power is a song...a song taught to Alaric by Ronan Tey, and Vagner (himself quite the music lover) captures Alaric and brings him back to Doran. The trouble is Alaric has no recollection of learning this song or of ever having heard it. To put it simply: DRAGON'S TONGUE is a FUN read. This book is very engaging, with lively characters, a rich setting, a great deal of danger, good doses of humour throughout, unlikely friendships and alliances, and the coming of age of a boy who unwittingly becomes a pawn of fate. It is written in a style that can appeal to both teenagers and adults, so it should find a broad audience. A musician herself, Laura writes her bard characters with honesty and realism (and has in fact composed all the music that appears in the books). Buy this book; I highly recommend it. And if you enjoy it (which I'm certain you will), explore some of Laura's other works, particularly the other books and stories set in the same world. [...]

Wow! Terrific Story! BUY THIS BOOK!!!

I got an ARC from Laura directly, and I have to say that this is easily her best book yet. The book's pacing and characters were so good, I got lost in this book almost immediately. She's become really confident in Ard-Taebh and has come up with a great tale that's worth staying up past 2 am for. One thing I had no idea was what a rogue Fenelon was. Oh sure, we got a tease from Ard Magister, but really, I never knew until I read this book. One of the surprises was Vagner. Despite him being a ferocious demon, I really took a liking to him. All I can say is check out this book! I can't wait for the second, Wandering Lark.