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Trial of a Dragon
The justice system is rarely just, but it is a system.
Corbin, a blood mage, and his hellfire-breathing dragon Blood have made an even bigger name for themselves. After saving the continent from a hostile foreign power, Denza demonstrates incredible ingratitude by putting Blood on trial for murder.
Disappointing, but not surprising.
Blood killed a fellow dragon and his rider in self-defense, but the government of Denza won’t accept that. They want the demonic dragon executed. So, the first ever trial of a dragon begins, backed by a powerful cabal within Denza.
Worse, enemies seek to place both man and dragon in an early grave by wielding magical weapons unearthed from the dark past.
Friends and family, some with questionable pasts and motives, come out of the woodwork to help Corbin in his quest to free his dragon, even if some of them want to get paid. Criminals need to make a living, too.
Meanwhile, a mystery threatens to tear Denza apart and possibly start a war between humans and dragons, just when a partnership is crucial to combat the demonic invasion from the Gray Marches.
Then Corbin discovers that his enigmatic enemy is more powerful and terrifying than he ever imagined. And it’s not just Blood’s and Corbin’s lives that are in jeopardy—it’s every human life on the continent.
Sometimes, secrets are best left buried.
Corbin, a blood mage, and his hellfire-breathing dragon Blood have made an even bigger name for themselves. After saving the continent from a hostile foreign power, Denza demonstrates incredible ingratitude by putting Blood on trial for murder.
Disappointing, but not surprising.
Blood killed a fellow dragon and his rider in self-defense, but the government of Denza won’t accept that. They want the demonic dragon executed. So, the first ever trial of a dragon begins, backed by a powerful cabal within Denza.
Worse, enemies seek to place both man and dragon in an early grave by wielding magical weapons unearthed from the dark past.
Friends and family, some with questionable pasts and motives, come out of the woodwork to help Corbin in his quest to free his dragon, even if some of them want to get paid. Criminals need to make a living, too.
Meanwhile, a mystery threatens to tear Denza apart and possibly start a war between humans and dragons, just when a partnership is crucial to combat the demonic invasion from the Gray Marches.
Then Corbin discovers that his enigmatic enemy is more powerful and terrifying than he ever imagined. And it’s not just Blood’s and Corbin’s lives that are in jeopardy—it’s every human life on the continent.
Sometimes, secrets are best left buried.
470 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 8, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 27, 2024
Being book three of the "Blood History" series.
The first two volumes introduced the characters of Corbin Alimas and Blood, outcasts from the mountain nation of Denza -- Corbin is hated by many of his fellow Denzans because he is half "skurga," and a blood witch; Blood, by pretty much all of his fellow dragons, because he is a red dragon who breathes hellfire instead of regular fire. Corbin's uncle arranges for him an ambassadorship to the coastal city-state of Sunal.
In the first book, A Dragon Named Blood , they -- along with a supporting cast built up across the length of the book -- save Sunal and Denza from an attack which would have destroyed most of the continent -- and meet Ryanna Kvend, who quickly becomes Corbin's love interest.
In Kinship of a Dragon , they participate in saving Ryanna and her mother from being repatriated by force to the distant nation the mother comes from, and, along the way, save Sunal from being destroyed by the navy of said distant nation. Along the way, however, Blood kills a Denzan native who clearly was intending to kill both himself and Corbin, and, while this was clearly self-defense, the Denzan aristocracy see an opportunity to be rid of Blood once and for all, and charge him with murder.
Trial of a Dragon begins as Corbin, Ryanna, and Blood arrive at Denza's Mountain of Justice for the trial. Corbin's uncle has provided for Blood to have an excellent attorney; but the case is hard.
Then someone tries to frame Blood for a further murder: which backfires when Blood rescues one of the intended victims -- and, for the first time in his life, finds a dragon who is willing to actually talk to him.
I don't want to summarize too much here. The story is almost baroquely recomplicated, so summary would be useless anyway: but more to the point, there are layer after layer of discoveries here, which involve the foregrounding of a great deal which had seemed like interesting background details in the previous books; and the ending slingshots toward major issues which further book will clearly have to deal with. This suggests careful planning on the part of Shell, and I appreciate it.
Much of the charm of these book arises from Corbin's and Blood's dark, sarcastic comments on life, and these are in full force here. It's not great literature, but it's a fun read.
Also: not particularly Tolkien-derivative, which is a plus.
The first two volumes introduced the characters of Corbin Alimas and Blood, outcasts from the mountain nation of Denza -- Corbin is hated by many of his fellow Denzans because he is half "skurga," and a blood witch; Blood, by pretty much all of his fellow dragons, because he is a red dragon who breathes hellfire instead of regular fire. Corbin's uncle arranges for him an ambassadorship to the coastal city-state of Sunal.
In the first book, A Dragon Named Blood , they -- along with a supporting cast built up across the length of the book -- save Sunal and Denza from an attack which would have destroyed most of the continent -- and meet Ryanna Kvend, who quickly becomes Corbin's love interest.
In Kinship of a Dragon , they participate in saving Ryanna and her mother from being repatriated by force to the distant nation the mother comes from, and, along the way, save Sunal from being destroyed by the navy of said distant nation. Along the way, however, Blood kills a Denzan native who clearly was intending to kill both himself and Corbin, and, while this was clearly self-defense, the Denzan aristocracy see an opportunity to be rid of Blood once and for all, and charge him with murder.
Trial of a Dragon begins as Corbin, Ryanna, and Blood arrive at Denza's Mountain of Justice for the trial. Corbin's uncle has provided for Blood to have an excellent attorney; but the case is hard.
Then someone tries to frame Blood for a further murder: which backfires when Blood rescues one of the intended victims -- and, for the first time in his life, finds a dragon who is willing to actually talk to him.
I don't want to summarize too much here. The story is almost baroquely recomplicated, so summary would be useless anyway: but more to the point, there are layer after layer of discoveries here, which involve the foregrounding of a great deal which had seemed like interesting background details in the previous books; and the ending slingshots toward major issues which further book will clearly have to deal with. This suggests careful planning on the part of Shell, and I appreciate it.
Much of the charm of these book arises from Corbin's and Blood's dark, sarcastic comments on life, and these are in full force here. It's not great literature, but it's a fun read.
Also: not particularly Tolkien-derivative, which is a plus.
December 15, 2024
Trial of a Dragon is the third book in Charles D. Shell's Blood History series, which follows Corbin and Blood, a rider/dragon pair who are bonded in their status as mixed-blood outcasts, only to have slowly found themselves in the midst of world-shaping events. Trial kicks off in the immediate aftermath of its predecessor, Kinship of a Dragon, with Blood on trial for his actions at the end of that volume and Corbin - along with much of the supporting cast of the books so far - working to do what they can to ensure a just outcome. (Much like Kinship, Trial has little interest in recapping the previous books, and as such, I'd strongly recommend reading the other books before you jump in here.) Shell is bringing in a lot of lore here, as Dante investigates the origins of dragons, Amber finds herself under the wing of a mysterious tutor, and Corbin and Blood end up in the crosshairs of an enchanter more powerful than any that should be capable of existing - all of which end up bringing out a lot of richness to the saga and evolving our understanding of the world and its history. That can also be a little overwhelming at times; this book is the first to really get into some of the religious history of the world, and thus is might have been good to have a little more recapping of those aspects here, even if Shell didn't want to go back over the main plot; I definitely couldn't remember some of the nuances of the mythology of the world, and while I never really struggled to follow the gist of things, there's definitely a sense that giving us a touch more of a refresh on some of the key figures here - especially the Undergods - might have been helpful. Beyond that, though, I had a lot of fun with Trial; Shell has created interesting, enjoyable, likable characters, each of whom have their layers and their complexities, but he approaches it all with more of a sense of fun and humor than many fantasy writers these days. The plot is engaging and well-paced, the characters solid, the dialogue fluid, and the emotional beats honest without being sappy; in short, it's a great crowd-pleaser of a read, and I'm definitely curious to see what comes next. Rating: 4.5/5
February 22, 2025
Having previously read the first two books in the “Blood History” series, I was eager to see how Corbin and Blood were going to get through their most challenging enemy of all… the legal system! Blood is the target, and there’s never been a dragon on trial before. Of course, he’s been wrongfully accused, but how are they going to convince anyone that a hellfire-breathing red dragon is innocent?
Preparing for Blood’s trial ends up being almost an undercurrent for most of the story, as all sorts of challenges and side stories start popping up like mushrooms. When the time comes though, the trial is well worth the lead-up, and I eagerly read the rest of the book in one sitting.
Like many fantasy novels, this is a big book. Unlike many fantasy novels, it’s a smooth, fast-paced read, thanks to the author’s choice of letting his characters speak in an easy-going, almost modern style, and including a good sprinkling of sarcasm. The narrative is clear and moves at a good pace.
I don’t usually write plot summaries in my reviews, and this is no exception. It’d be difficult to summarize this book anyway, as there’s a lot going on, and more than one storyline plays out. I will mention that my favorite chapters were those that told the story of a woman named Amber who finds herself being tutored by a mysterious old man who could give Master Po a run for his money in the 1972 television series Kung Fu.
This is the third installation in the “Blood History” series. You aren’t going to be handed a quick recap of the action from the first two books. You really do need to read A Dragon Called Blood and Kinship of a Dragon. I promise this won’t be a hardship, as both previous books are also written in Shell’s tight, snappy, sometimes sarcastic style, with solid plotlines.
Preparing for Blood’s trial ends up being almost an undercurrent for most of the story, as all sorts of challenges and side stories start popping up like mushrooms. When the time comes though, the trial is well worth the lead-up, and I eagerly read the rest of the book in one sitting.
Like many fantasy novels, this is a big book. Unlike many fantasy novels, it’s a smooth, fast-paced read, thanks to the author’s choice of letting his characters speak in an easy-going, almost modern style, and including a good sprinkling of sarcasm. The narrative is clear and moves at a good pace.
I don’t usually write plot summaries in my reviews, and this is no exception. It’d be difficult to summarize this book anyway, as there’s a lot going on, and more than one storyline plays out. I will mention that my favorite chapters were those that told the story of a woman named Amber who finds herself being tutored by a mysterious old man who could give Master Po a run for his money in the 1972 television series Kung Fu.
This is the third installation in the “Blood History” series. You aren’t going to be handed a quick recap of the action from the first two books. You really do need to read A Dragon Called Blood and Kinship of a Dragon. I promise this won’t be a hardship, as both previous books are also written in Shell’s tight, snappy, sometimes sarcastic style, with solid plotlines.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews