"Dragon Blood" by Patricia Briggs

Our favorite "simpleton" hero is back in Dragon Blood, the sequel to Patricia Briggs' Dragon Bones. This time, Ward must save his love Tisala (oh, and the realm too) from the mad king Jakoven.

This book is a worthy sequel to the first, although it is a bit darker. All of the things that I liked about the first book can be found in the sequel. In particular all of the characters remain true to their nature and their motivations. Patricia Briggs never falls into the trap of making a character stupid just to advance the plot.

Interestingly, once again the ending felt rushed to me. When I was near the end, I remember wondering (again) how she was going to resolve the plot in so few pages. Don't let that stop you from reading it, though. The book is a very enjoyable read and I look forward to getting my hands on some of Ms. Briggs' other books.

I once again recommend this book very highly.