Steal the Dragon

Patricia Briggs

Rialla had been a slave who escaped from Darran and her master. Now she agrees to return - as a spy.

When she was still a teen Rialla had been kidnapped and taken into slavery as an exotic dancer. After many years she finally escaped. Now seven years later she is working as a horse trainer in Sianim, a country of spies and mercenaries. Countries to the East are rising and heading West. In Darran there is a chance of creating peace and an alliance with a neighboring country. If the two become allies they have a chance of keeping the countries in the East from invading. The spymaster in Sianim wants to encourage the alliance.

Rialla travels to Darran with her friend, Laeth. Laeth is the brother of Lord Karsten who is trying to change some laws to favor the alliance. The are trying to prevent his death. Laeth is unusual because he left Darran and became a mercenary instead. Along the way they meet a healer, Tris, who joins their quest. He is able to use his magic to sneak around the castle.

She has to leave Darran with Laeth or Rialla will be returned to slavery for real. But it may not be as easy to return Sianim as they originally planned, even with Tris' help. Can Rialla face being a slave again?

A few years ago a bookseller recommended Patricia Briggs' books. I bought this, then lost it near the bottom of Mt. Bookpile. I was rearranging things a few weeks ago and found Steal the Dragon. This book is as good as was promised. Steal the Dragon is a well crafted fantasy.

Rialla, Laeth, and Tris feel real. Briggs has set this imaginative novel in a world that pulls the reader in. This is a delightful fantasy. I need to find more of her books.

Notice:  Suggestive dialogue or situations