Janine Cross, Forged by Fire

Forged by Fire

Janine Cross

Roc, Apr 2007, $14.00

ISBN 0451461282

Though the Dragon Temple forbids females from owning property, Zarq Darquel ignores the tenet. Instead she makes a home for herself by purchasing a dragon-egg producing farm in Clutch Xxamer Zu. She also struggles with her craving for addictive dragon venom while finding herself nurturing the young victims of the repressive regime.

Meanwhile her former overlord, Waikar Re Kratt, outraged by her behavior even before she defied the ruling paternal oligarchy, is coming for her. He wants her incarcerated at the least but his real goal is to see her dead. Forced to react, Zarq flees into the jungle lair of the dragons where, accompanied by her female dragons, she seeks an ancient power to defeat Kratt and his male priestly supporters of the status quo.

The final book of the Dragon Temple fantasy trilogy (see TOUCHED BY VENOM and SHADOWED BY WINGS) is a vivid, dark fantasy starring an intriguing heroine struggling with an addiction yet ironically her only hope to survive is using the venom that she craves. The storyline is action-packed as Zarq lands in one nasty escapade after another. While not for everyone as this tale and miniseries is graphic, Janine Cross provides a deep look at the crippling impact of sexism, racism, slavery, addiction, and oppression in a wonderfully over-the-top saga.

Harriet Klausner