Dragon of Ash & Stars: The Autobiography of a Night Dragon is told by Stormfall.

Dragon of Ash and Stars

Swept from his aery by a storm, the young black-scaled Night Dragon describes how he receives his name after he is captured and trained as a fishing dragon. Due to his belligerent nature, Stormfall is sold to a farmer and renamed Nightshade. When tragedy befalls the farm, he receives his third name, Hallowdown, and works as a funeral dragon…and so on until the Night Dragon’s life comes full circle.

If you’ve read Black Beauty, you’ll spot similarities between the plots. Both books describe human cruelty towards animals. Although there are acts of human kindness, the book can be an uncomfortable read. Some readers have described Dragon of Ash & Stars as depressing. It can be, but this is a story about resilience and the struggle against losing one’s sense of self.

Since a dragon is telling his story, Stormfall’s narration takes a little getting used to. Stick with it, persist through the pain and humiliation Stormfall endures and shrug away a convenient coincidence that occurs in the final third of the story. If you do, you’ll be rewarded with a satisfying conclusion.

Image: Amazon.co.uk, 04-May-2020

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