Joust by Mercedes Lackey

Book: Joust
Series: Dragon Jousters (#1)
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Read: December 2011

I haven’t done many of these book review things, and I really should do them more often. So I’m going to try and catch up a little bit on a few I’ve been reading of late. I discovered the Dragon Jousters series on the Library’s Overdrive website and borrowed a copy of the first for my new Kindle. I burned through it in just a few days.

The story centers on Vetch, who is a serf and in a terrible situation. It chronicles the slow path to self improvement and empowerment he experiences, and comes to a peak as he raises a dragon of his own and eventually escapes into his childhood homeland of Alta from Tia where he was held captive.

The story starts slow, but once you’re through the first chapter or two (which are primarily exposition) the book rapidly grows exciting and fascinating. The introduction to the world was necessary, and perhaps could have been handled better, but the slog of the start was worth it to get to Kashet and Ari’s introduction, when the story really takes off.

I’m personally going to continue reading the series, and hope that others will take a chance and pick up these nice (if short) little fantasy romps through a bit of desert that feels and awful lot like Egypt to me.

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