The Dubious Gift of Dragon Blood

by J. Marshall Freeman

Overview

High schooler Crispin Haugen already has so many identities to sort through—Asian, Scandinavian, not to mention gay. Then a messenger from another world arrives to tell him he also carries the blood of dragons in his veins.

Transported to the Realm of Fire, where dragons and humans live in harmony, Crispin falls for Davix, a brooding, nerdy scholar. But dark mysteries threaten the peace of Crispin’s new world. Without warning, dragons from the Realm of Air unleash a bloody war.

With everything he cares about on the line, Crispin must find the courage to fight...for justice and for love.

The writing of this book was supported by the Toronto Arts Council with funding from the City of Toronto.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635557251
Publisher:	Bold Strokes Books
Publication date:	12/15/2020
Pages:	334
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

J. Marshall Freeman is a writer, musician, and graphic designer. He is a two-time winner of the Saints+Sinners fiction contest (2017 and 2019). His self-published YA adventure novel Teetering came out in 2016, and in 2019, he released Arthropoda, a chapbook of his poetry. Upcoming work includes the climate change SF novel, Cicada Climbs into the Light. He lives in Toronto, Canada, with his husband and dog.

Editorial Reviews

09/25/2020

Gr 9 Up—Life is complicated for high schooler Crispin Haugen. Not only is he juggling his identities of half-Filipino, half-Scandinavian and gay, but a mysterious stranger also reveals that Crispin has dragon blood. He is the fabled Dragon Groom destined to protect the lineage of the Five Dragons in the Realm of Fire. In order to escape the tragedy that is his life, Crispin decides to go to the Realm of Fire to fulfill the prophecy, but if he thought things were complicated before, he had no idea. Upon arriving to the Realm of Fire, where the inhabitants are described as being brown-skinned with straight, jet-black hair, Crispin meets Davix, who is a welcome distraction from Crispin's troubles back home. As much as Crispin would like to relish in this newfound romance, nothing is as it seems and the lines between ally and enemy quickly become blurred. Crispin's narration and unique metaphors are a highlight of the novel. As with many fantasy novels, the world-building and naming conventions take some time to get used to, but Freeman does a great job of building an unfamiliar environment without overwhelming the reader with superfluous details. This novel does not shy away from talking about sex, but does so in a way that is not explicit or gratuitous. At the same time, there are frank conversations about safe sex and consent, which are important even in a fantasy world. VERDICT From swoon-worthy romances to epic dragon fights, this has a little bit of everything for readers to enjoy.—Myiesha Speight, Towson Univ., Baltimore

School Library Journal

2020-09-10
A prophecy reveals the impending death of one of the Five Dragons of the Realm of Fire.

Sixteen-year-old Crispin Haugen is chosen to be the Dragon Groom who will mate with the Dragon Queen in order to maintain the Five. Crispin, who’s gay, is stunned to learn about his hidden dragon heritage and understandably unenthused about fulfilling his role. He already has enough on his plate, from being outed to his classmates to suffering the humiliation of having a crush publicly revealed. Upon arriving at the Realm of Fire, Crispin finds that his presence isn’t entirely welcome: Though the People hail Crispin’s arrival as a blessing, the pious Prime Magistrate refuses to acknowledge the prophecy and demands that Crispin leave. Further complicating matters is the growing attraction between Crispin and the Prime Magistrate’s handsome and devout pupil Davix. The recurring emphasis on personal agency and consent is a pleasant surprise, especially as it is applied to both intimate relationships and the chosen-one trope. Detailed worldbuilding and exposition slow down the narrative, but the action picks up in the final third of the book. Same-sex relationships are the norm in the Realm of Fire, and sexuality is understood to be fluid. Crispin is White and Filipino; all humans in the Realm of Fire have brown skin and black hair.

An ambitious, but unevenly executed, gay coming-of-age story draped in high fantasy. (Fantasy. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews