Blood of an Exile

June 10, 2019
Naslund’s debut wraps action, a mystery, and the environment into an impressively tight knot of classic fantasy. The ironically nicknamed “Flawless” Silas Bershad was a lord until forced exile turned him into a dragonslayer. But when he doesn’t die as expected—due to a strange ability to heal—Ashlyn, the princess he once loved, and King Hertzog, who exiled him, make a dubious offer: they’ll let him return home in exchange for rescuing Ashlyn’s kidnapped sister, Kira, and assassinating an emperor who plans to slaughter nearly all the remaining dragons. Naslund’s prose in the scenes with Bershad, his faithful companion, Rowan, and his donkey Alfonso is as intentionally rough-hewn as Bershad himself, a distinctive counterpart to Ashlyn’s ornate language as she narrates her own engrossing fight against treason and environmental devastation. Amid the story’s ecological concerns, the landscape presents as many dangers and opportunities for Bershad and his companions as the human characters do. This opener makes a solid start for what readers will hope is an expansive series. Agent: Caitlin Blasdell, Liza Dawson Assoc.

July 1, 2019

DEBUT Flawless Bershad the dragon fighter is known throughout Terra for his ruthless skill and infamous fall from grace. Princess Ashlyn summons Bershad to the capital of Almira to rescue her sister, who was kidnapped by rival kingdom Balaria. His other secret mission is to assassinate the Balarian emperor, who plans to corner the profitable dragon oil market by killing all the dragons of Terra as they come to breed in Balaria. Ashlyn believes that dragons are the key to balance in Terra, preventing both famine and plague. She sends Bershad, who has noticed changes in himself after his time spent with dragons, with his trusted shield, a dangerous widow, a thief, and a donkey on a quest to save all of Terra. The dynamic characters and divided kingdoms of Terra leave a lot of space for this series to grow. Bershad is both cantankerously funny and endearingly human. The environmental impact of dragon extinction adds a new dimension to the expected swordplay and political intrigue. VERDICT Strongly recommended for devoted fantasy readers and a great gateway book for those new to the genre.--Catherine Lantz, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Lib.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2019
At first glance, Naslund's debut appears to be a by-the-numbers epic fantasy: a nobleman who has been exiled as a dragonslayer is called back to court to rescue a kidnapped princess, earning a royal pardon if he succeeds. There's even a parallel plot, in which his ex-fianc�e, now the queen, must contend with power-hungry nobles trying to steal the throne. But it's not all kingdoms and politics: there is also the underlying framework of a looming global ecological catastrophe precipitated by over-hunting of dragons. The backdrop of destroying a significant part of the Terran ecosystem and the unrelenting pursuit of poorly understood technological progress adds an appealing depth to the story?and adds some tricky complications to both major plotlines. Bershad, the dragonslayer, is cynical, pragmatic and revenge-minded, but nonetheless an appealing character to follow. Ashlyn, the new Queen, thrown into the very messiest of political situations, is likewise engaging. Readers will be equally drawn to the natural history of this world and the political twists as they wait for the next volume in this promising series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)