An Accident of Dragons - (Tales of Summer) by Cheri Radke (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In theory, the dragoness of Summer can make any resident on her island the ruler, if the previous Lord Summer is so careless as to die without an heir. In practice, absolutely no one expected her to choose Teddy, the last lord's middle-aged fancy man. With his quick wit, heaps of charisma, and excellent dress sense, Teddy brings plenty of virtues to his new role, but statecraft, pedigree, and decorum are not among them. That's all right: he's done his duty to the island, and his five-year-old daughter, Zinnia, will make a brilliant Lady Summer when her time comes.

Except when a ship of desperate mainlander thieves arrives, Zinnia's caught in the fracas and taken hostage. Teddy jumps into the rescue mission without delay, even though his days of adventures on the mainland are long buried with his lover. But his sailors have never seen their destination, and worse, the hard-liner admiral who leads them thinks Teddy's a worthless dandy. Against a conniving robber baron, a sorceress who's tamed her own dragon, and ordinary people with everything to lose, the crew faces terrible odds. But with all he loves in danger, Teddy must prove there's more to him than he'd ever intended to show.

Review Quotes

"A miracle of the cozy and the numinous: a truly alien dragon, glitteringly silver, with a bunch of human characters you just want to hang out with so you can try on clothes and talk about life together." --Ellen Kushner, award-winning author of Swordspoint

"What do you get when an overly dramatic but charming, reluctant hero (who just happens to share his chaotic mind with a dragon) is yanked into a swashbuckling adventure to save the daughter he loves? An Accident of Dragons. Fantasy readers will enjoy this frolicking tale that marries dragons, the love of an unconventional family and the notion that discovering your true (and better) self can happen entirely by accident." --J. Penner, author of A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic

"Brimming with heart and humor, An Accident of Dragons is equal parts a cozy tale about love and acceptance, and a page-turning adventure on the high seas, full of twists and turns. Prepare to fall in love with the wittiest, messiest rake of a main character!" --Genoveva Dimova, author of Foul Days and Monstrous Nights

"Radke writes with precision and empathy, tracing a history of grief and love with exquisite care. The protagonist is wonderfully flawed, resilient, and deeply human, and I especially appreciated how Radke flirted with tropes but always did something unexpected with them. And, of course, the dragons are wonderful!" --Jenn Lyons, author of The Sky on Fire

"Delightful -- I was all in from the very first paragraph and could not put it down. I read it in one sitting. Such a light touch is hard to find, and Radke pairs her excellent world building with characters I found difficult, if not impossible, to resist. I will be watching eagerly for more from Cheri Radke." --Caroline Stevermer, author of The Glass Magician and co-author of Sorcery and Cecelia with Patricia C. Wrede

"A witty confection of a tale, as if Oscar Wilde turned his pen to writing high fantasy. Charming and original, An Accident of Dragons will appeal to anyone looking for their next cozy, queer fantasy romp!" --Kimberly Bea, author of The Changeling Queen

About the Author