Available:*
Material Type | Library | Call Number | Item Barcode | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book | Searching... North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library | F NASLUND | 31478010129162 | Searching... Unknown |
| Book | Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library | FICTION NASLUND | 31330008831434 | Searching... Unknown |
| Book | Searching... Dracut - Moses Greeley Parker Memorial Library | FIC/NASLUND | 31482002888579 | Searching... Unknown |
| Book | Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library | FIC NASLUND | 30470001746469 | Searching... Unknown |
| Book | Searching... Haverhill Public Library | SCIFI/NASLUND B | 31479007028201 | Searching... Unknown |
| Book | Searching... Lowell - Pollard Memorial Library | FIC FANTASY NASLUND | 31481005404087 | Searching... Unknown |
| Book | Searching... Newburyport Public Library | FIC NASLUND B | 32128003790442 | Searching... Unknown |
| Book | Searching... Rockport Public Library | SCIENCE FICTION NASLUND TERRA 1 | 32129002380466 | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
2019 Amazon.com Best Books of the Year
2019 Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year
First in the Dragons of Terra series, Brian Naslund's Blood of an Exile is a fast-paced adventure perfect for comic readers and fans of heroic fantasy
Bershad stands apart from the world, the most legendary dragonslayer in history, both revered and reviled.
Once, he was Lord Silas Bershad, but after a disastrous failure on the battlefield he was stripped of his titles and sentenced to one violent, perilous hunt after another. Now he lives only to stalk dragons, slaughter them, collect their precious oil, and head back into the treacherous wilds once more. For years, death was his only chance to escape. But that is about to change.
The king who sentenced Bershad to his fate has just given him an unprecedented chance at redemption. Kill a foreign emperor and walk free forever.
The journey will take him across dragon-infested mountains, through a seedy criminal underworld, and into a forbidden city guarded by deadly technology.
But the links of fate bind us all.
Dragons of Terra Series
Blood of an Exile
Sorcery of a Queen
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
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. (Aug.)
Kirkus Review
Naslund's stellar debut noveland first installment in his Dragons of Terra sagarevolves around an exciting new fantasy hero who, exiled and essentially sentenced to death as a dragonslayer, is finding it increasingly difficult to die.Silas Bershad, aka the Flawless Bershad, is a legend throughout the kingdoms of Terra. Accused by the king of Almira of committing horrific crimes and ritualistically tattooed as an outcast thereafter, Bershad has wandered the countryside with his sidekick, Rowan, and his trusty donkey hunting dragons for the last 14 years. While most sentenced to dragonslaying die battling their first beast, Bershad has killed 66 dragons and has become an unkillable folk hero of sorts. His miserable nomadic existence changes, however, when he agreesat the behest of Ashlyn, the king's daughter and his former lover,to embark on a perilous mission: to sail across the sea to the enemy nation of Balaria to rescue the king's other daughter, Kira, who has been kidnapped, and assassinate the emperor. But although the journey is filled with constant peril, Bershad begins to finally understand himself and his place in the world. Discoveries abound, particularly concerning his body's strange penchant for healing seemingly deadly wounds. Featuring a multiple point-of-view narrative that includes a rich diversity of charactersBershad, Princess Ashlyn, an assassin named Garret, an apprentice alchemist named Jolan, among othersmany aspects of this story are noteworthy. The worldbuilding, for example, is simply extraordinary. The dichotomy between the primitive realm of Almira and the technologically advanced kingdom of Balaria is striking, and the author's focus on dragons and their deep, almost mystical connection to the world's balance and well-being give the story a profound undertone. The characters are well developed and original, and the bombshell revelations at novel's end are immensely satisfying. A few predictable subplots notwithstanding, Naslund succeeds in creating a page-turning, edge-of-your-seat read that breathes new (fiery) life into dragon mythology.Top-notch adventure fantasya stand-up-and-applaud debut. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
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-fiancée, 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.--Regina Schroeder Copyright 2019 Booklist
Library Journal Review
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.