What a Dragon Should Know by G. A. Aiken had to be a difficult book to write. Not just because the main characters, Gwenvael, the Handsome, most beloved of all dragons and Dagmar, the Beast, Reinholdt, were two of the most manipulative, complex, and caring characters I’ve ever read, but because of what the author did to characters from the previous two books.
Characters are like an author’s babies, entities that your mind formed and nurtured until they became living, breathing things. Putting them through the events in this book had to be hard, and you can tell that the author put her blood, sweat, and tears into making the situations realistic and heart-breaking at the same time.

This isn’t to say the book was depressing. Far from it, in fact. Dagmar’s penchant for voyeurism, Gwenvael’s erratic mutterings when he wakes up, and the results of a game of Run and Jump left me rolling on the floor in laughter. Even the love scenes were hilarious! I will never be able to tickle someone and not think dirty thoughts because of this book.

Funny one-liners and steamy sex aren’t all What a Dragon Should Know has to offer. The bigger picture is starting to come into focus, and I’m dying to find out how it pans out. So far Annwyl and Fearghus have faced a killer childbirth and the wrath of the gods, Briec and Talaith have realized they are raising a true warrior woman, and Gwenvael and Dagmar, if properly motivated, could take over the world. Add in the machinations of the Horde dragons, a devious god and his wayward consort, and a restructuring of the dragon Elders and anything is possible. G. A. has already shown that she’s not afraid to kill her darlings. I wouldn’t be surprised if the dragons take a bit hit in the future, and there won’t be a deus ex machina to save the day.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 142010375X
• ISBN-13: 978-1420103755

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Books in the Dragon Kin series in the order they should be read:
Dragon Actually
About A Dragon
What a Dragon Should Know

(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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