"Dragon Bones" by Patricia Briggs

The main character in Dragon Bones, Ward of Hurog, is not your typical fantasy hero. He is large of stature, but sadly lacking in intelligence (or so it seems). It turns out that his father, an overly cruel man, saw him as a rival and beat him relentlessly. Out of self-defense, Ward decided it might be a good idea to appear less of a threat, leading to him pretending to be stupid. Of course, the stupid act comes with a price - no one really wants to see Ward rule Hurog after his father. So when an unfortunate (at least for Ward's father) hunting accident brings the cruel leader's reign to a sudden halt, Ward is faced with the task of taking over. Outside forces, with the intentionally mistaken impression that Ward is not fit for the position, conspire to take Hurog away from him, and he must find a way to get it back.

Let me just say first that Dragon Bones is one of my all time favorite fantasy novels. There are several reasons for that, but it really all comes down to the characters. I can't think of a single poorly written character in the entire novel. I read so many fantasy books with single dimensional characters, or character that do things you know they wouldn't simply to advance the plot. I think that a lot of authors either concentrate too much on the plot, or simply have a hard time writing good dialog. The characters that Patricia Briggs has crafted in this book have interesting and consistent motives for everything they do. In fact, there are no what I call "sit-com" moments in the book - those awkward moments that Ross always had in "Friends" that make you cringe in almost physical pain. The characters in Dragon Bones always act in ways that are completely in keeping with their nature, goals and the information that they have.

If you are looking for a Robert Jordan epic novel, then keep on moving. Despite the fact that a second book was written, Dragon Bones was written to be a single novel with a fully told story. The plot is good enough to support the characterizations and is certainly interesting in its own right, but it is not intended to be epic. That's actually another thing I really like about the book, you aren't left wondering how many books you will have to read before Dirk Evilsbane (TM) finally fights Wu Tang the Destroyer (TM).

I have only one real criticism of the book: the ending feels a bit rushed. It doesn't take away from the quality of the book, and it never impacts the quality of the characters or the consistency of their actions (meaning that the characters don't start doing annoying things just so the plot can be resolved). However, in a book where everything else is so tight and pulled together, the ending makes it feel like a deadline was approaching. All in all, this is a must-read for any fantasy fan.

I can't recommend it highly enough.