The Dragon Jousters

Joust
By Mercedes Lackey
DAW Books, distributed by Penguin Group, 2003

Alta
By Mercedes Lackey
DAW Books, distributed by Penguin Group, 2004

Sanctuary
By Mercedes Lackey
DAW Books, distributed by Penguin Group, 2005

Having been a recently-converted fan of Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar series, I was already aware of her talent for spinning fully realized characters and complex, believable fantasy worlds not that far removed from our own. So when I discovered Joust, which not only sported Lackey's name on the cover but bore the image of -- what else? -- a dragon, I had to investigate. And when I discovered Joust had not only a sequel, but a third book in the series, I was hooked.

Joust tells the story of two nations with similar cultures (both are strongly reminiscent of ancient Egypt) that are nonetheless at war -- the desert nation of Tia and the delta nation of Alta. While soldiers battle it out on the land and jousters aboard dragons take to the skies, a young Altan serf boy named Vetch is caught in the middle, serving as a dragon boy in the Jouster's compound of Tia. With the unwitting aid of the heroic but brooding Tian Jouster Ari, he learns the secret of taming dragons in order to aid his beleaguered home country.

But as the series continues in Alta and Sanctuary, it becomes clear that this is far more than a war between two nations. In Alta Vetch learns that a powerful group of sorcerers known as the Magi are behind the war... and seek to profit from it in hideous ways. And Vetch must use his knowledge of taming jousting dragons to save Alta not only from the army of Tia, but from the treachery of the Magi.

Lackey's books may seem slow-moving to one used to the quick pace and rousing adventures of other fantasy novels, but I particularly relished the world Lackey painted around me with her words. Nuances of culture, religion, and daily life were so vividly constructed that I found myself fully believing this world existed. Even the magic at work is so matter-of-factly described that it's completely believable. And the dragons, though not the supernatural beasts of other fantasy works, are more than just animals -- each has his or her own distinct personality, enough to set them apart as characters in their own right.

If you have yet to read a Mercedes Lackey novel, I suggest The Dragon Jousters as a good take-off point. If you're already familiar with Lackey from Heralds of Valdemar or other works/series, then I fully recommend the non-Valdemarian tales of Vetch and his comrades. And if you finish these books and want more -- as I did -- then keep a sharp eye out for the fourth book, Aerie, due out this October!

Lizard Music

Lizard Music
By Daniel Manus Pinkwater
Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, 1976, reprinted 1988

While rearranging the family room in our house today, we decided to move the bookshelf. Big mistake. There were enough books packed onto the shelf to start our own library, and it took the better part of the morning to empty the shelf so we could transport it. Staring at my pile -- or rather, mountain -- of books, I have begun to wonder whether it's possible to own too many books. Hmmm... nah.

But on the plus side, I managed to rescue a book that had gotten wedged into a far corner of the shelf, and in the process I rediscovered a treasured gem of a book from my junior high and high school days. Flipping through Lizard Music, I found it still brings an incomprehensible joy to me.

(This book is not for the serious-fantasy set, however -- a reviewer on Amazon.com rightfully describes Lizard Music as "drug-free tripping" and "putting your brain in a blender and pushing frappe.")

Eleven-year-old, Walter Cronkite obsessed Victor is left home alone when his parents go on vacation and his older sister (who is supposed to be his caretaker) leaves for a camping trip, threatening to kill him if he tells Mom and Dad. Victor takes great advantage of his time alone, exploring his hometown, trying smoking (and wondering what all the fuss is about), and watching the late-night movies. Then, after the late-late movie one night, something strange happens -- giant lizards come on the TV screen and start playing music. When this happens night after night, Victor starts to wonder what's going on and sets out to investigate. His quest will introduce him to the Chicken Man and the exceptionally intelligent hen Claudia... and introduce him to the dangers of the pod people and the fabulous lizards of Thunderbolt City.

Reader be warned -- your first time reading Lizard Music will have you wondering what substance Pinkwater was high on when he wrote it. But it's such a fun ride, and so full of subtle and not-so-subtle commentary on society in general, that you'll find yourself saying to yourself "I'll have what HE'S having!"