The Dubious Gift of Dragon Blood

Gr 9 Up–Life is complicated for high schooler Crispin Haugen. Not only is he juggling his identities of half-Filipino, half-Scandinavian and gay, but a mysterious stranger also reveals that Crispin has dragon blood. He is the fabled Dragon Groom destined to protect the lineage of the Five Dragons in the Realm of Fire. In order to escape the tragedy that is his life, Crispin decides to go to the Realm of Fire to fulfill the prophecy, but if he thought things were complicated before, he had no idea. Upon arriving to the Realm of Fire, where the inhabitants are described as being brown-skinned with straight, jet-black hair, Crispin meets Davix, who is a welcome distraction from Crispin’s troubles back home. As much as Crispin would like to relish in this newfound romance, nothing is as it seems and the lines between ally and enemy quickly become blurred. Crispin’s narration and unique metaphors are a highlight of the novel. As with many fantasy novels, the world-building and naming conventions take some time to get used to, but Freeman does a great job of building an unfamiliar environment without overwhelming the reader with superfluous details. This novel does not shy away from talking about sex, but does so in a way that is not explicit or gratuitous. At the same time, there are frank conversations about safe sex and consent, which are important even in a fantasy world.