A.L. Kaplan's Blog: A. L. Kaplan, page 5

Book Review: A Language of Dragons – by S. F. Williamson

Exciting debut novel.  Placed in 1923 London, this alternate history blends dragons with fantasy, civil unrest, a budding romance, and a corrupt government.

In an oppressive society split into three classes, Viv is racked with guilt over getting her best friend sent down to Third Class. Now her biggest worry is getting a summer internship to study dragon languages and keep her little sister safe. But her life takes a sharp turn when her parents and cousin are arrested and a civil war breaks out.

S. F. Williamson does an excellent job creating multiple dragons and dragon cultures, weaving them seamlessly into a world where dragons and humans have a tenuous peace. I look forward to reading the next book.

Balticon 59 is Coming

This year’s Balticon is going to be great. These are the panels I’ll be on.

Sat 11:30 AM, May 24, Everybody Eats (Pride of Baltimore II)                               
Sun 1:00 PM, May 25, What’s in a Name? (Kent)                           
Sun 2:30 PM, May 25, Short Fire Readings: Blackrose, Gilman, Ihezue, Kaplan, Thompson (St. George)
Sun 5:30 PM, May 25, The Prop Shop: Making Cosplay Props and Weapons (James)  
Sun 8:30 PM, May 25, Eye of Argon Reading (Mount Washington)

Balticon

May 23-26-2025

Renaissance Harborplace Hotel

202 East Pratt Street

Baltimore, MD 21202

Happy Mother’s Day

Book Review – The Dragonet Prophecy – Wings of Fire Book #1

The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland, is an intriguing story about a group of five dragonets that have been raised in isolation so they can fulfill a prophecy that they end the war.

Clay is a mudwing dragonet, but he knows next to nothing about his own people and how they live. He is determined to protect his friends and prove that he isn’t the vicious killer their guardians believe his is. When the dragonets leave the safety of their cave, they are thrust into a cruel world where the different dragon species are divided behind the three sister dragons vying to be crowned the ultimate ruler.

The different types of dragons and their cultures in this book are fascinating. I loved the interactions between the dragonets and how Clay keeps them together. There were several twists and revelations. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Yes, Mr. President, you really do need to uphold the constitution and follow the law.

Can Trump legally do what he is doing?

FDR Quote of the Day

“Unless the peace that follows recognizes that the whole world is one neighborhood and does justice to the whole human race, the germs of another world war will remain as a constant threat to mankind.”
February 12, 1943

FDR Quote of the Day: Ignorance and Intolerance.

“We have faith that future generations will know that here in the middle of the twentieth century, there came a time when men of good will found a way to unite, and produce, and fight to destroy the forces of ignorance, and intolerance, and slavery, and war.“

FDR Quote of the Day

“We Must Be The Great Arsenal Of Democracy.”

FDR Quote of the Day

This photo was taken at the FDR memorial in DC. If you haven’t visited, you should.

I don’t think this quote needs any explanation.

“We must scrupulously guard the civil rights and civil liberties of all citizens, whatever their background. We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, any hatred, is a wedge designed to attack our civilization.”

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

Here are some more quotes from Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

“I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished.”

“The test of our progress in not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much. It is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”

Let’s not forget, that FDR and his programs pulled the USA out of a depression and allowed us to grow into a great nation, one that is presently being attacked from within. It is the government’s duty to protect its citizens and help them in times of need.