Book Review: Dragon America : Revolution

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Dragon America : Revolution     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Mike Resnick
Class/Genre:   Fantasy   Alternate History   Dragons   [Short Stories]
Series: Dragon America # 1
Phobos, Sep 2005, $14.95, 288 pp.

George Washington sends Daniel Boone to the Ohio wilderness where the frontiersman is to seek his adopted father
Chief Blackfish to enlist the Shawnee to the American cause against the British. However, Blackfish is irate
with his “son” for escorting settlers onto Shawnee lands; in fact Daniel is banned from the tribal lands. Still
the brave frontiersman feels he must make the effort and accompanied by only his minuscule dragon Banshee
ventures onto Shawnee territory.

When Daniel arrives at Blackfish’s camp, he finds British colonial loyalist Simon Ginty advising the chief.
Daniel requests a thousand warriors, but a reluctant Blackfish offers a couple of hundred. Instead his son Gray
Eagle provides Daniel with a counter suggestion that they head further west to the land of the giant dragons and
tame these potential weapons of mass destruction to use against Cornwallis' army. Boone agrees and the two men
accompanied by escaped Indian slave Pompey journey to the land of the giant dragons.

The structure of the wonderful alternate history DRAGON AMERICA is actually four interrelated novellas that flow
brilliantly together to enable the audience to feel events including believing mythical creatures are genuine.
The above paragraphs only relate the beginning of the book of Daniel, but are followed by fabulous entries
starring George Washington, Pompey's book and Ephram Eakins (working on training a different dragon breed). Mike
Resnick shows why he is one of the best fantasists writing today as he adds dragons to the Revolutionary War and
makes his book seem like a thrilling historical fiction as much as a fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner

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