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H. Leighton Dickson

Goodreads Author

Born

in Fort William, Canada

Website

http://www.hleightondickson.com

Twitter

hdickson62

Genre

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller

Influences

Guy Gavriel Kay, Anne McCaffery, A. Conan Doyle

Member Since

July 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/hleightondickson

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H. Leighton Dickson grew up in the wilds of the Canadian Shield, where her neighbours were wolves, moose, deer and lynx. She studied Zoology at the University of Guelph and worked in the Edinburgh Zoological Gardens in Scotland, where she was chased by lions, wrestled deaf tigers and fed antibiotics to Polar Bears by baby bottle.

A successful indie author, Heather is now repped by D. Ellis Wilson of Looking Glass Literary & Media. She has 10 indie novels including the 'Rise of the Upper Kingdom' series and the Empire of Steam series, as well as the award-winning DRAGON OF ASH & STARS. Her next novel, SHIP OF SPELLS, is published by Red Tower Books and will be available November 4, 2025.

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Any news about new Dragon of Ash & Stars sequel/standalone book?

H. Leighton Dickson Well you know the answer to THAT now! Thanks for giving me the nudge to wade back into the Goodreads waters...

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Who is your favorite fictional couple, and why?

H. Leighton Dickson This was a hard one to answer, honestly. I literally wracked my brain for days and in the process of doing so, I came across some very interesting bra…moreThis was a hard one to answer, honestly. I literally wracked my brain for days and in the process of doing so, I came across some very interesting brain threads. They answer the question (sort of) but provide a few deeper answers that I had never really stopped to think about. Let me explain…

Now when I first read this question, I naturally assumed it was asking about a favourite ‘romantic’ literary couple. This is likely why I was so stumped. I am not a ‘girly girl’, never read romance or romantic fiction and while I love Jane Austen and the Brontes, it was less for the romance than for the complicated period pieces that they wove. With Austen, the manners, the wit, the banter, the plucky heroine overcoming and winning the day. With a Bronte, it was the mystery, the intrigue, the melancholy and the despair. Gothic angst at it’s finest, whether Heathcliff and Cathy or Jane and Rochester. But as satisfying as say, Lizzie and Darcy are as a couple, none of these would I consider my favourites. I couldn’t just pick one and be done.

No, I’m much more cerebral than that. Friendship was always what fascinated me, or more appropriately, partnership. Phileas Fogg and Passepartout or Aubrey and Maturin – those are the relationships that intrigued me to no end, so naturally, my very first instinct was Holmes and Watson. Funny, I know. I’m not a shipper (which is very popular these days), but I have always loved their relationship. Theirs is a friendship that goes beyond a good cup of tea and a mystery. There’s a mutual dependence that Doyle only touched on, but ultimately carried through his entire series. Not really an arc, it was just there in every story. Holmes, with his brilliant mind and Bohemian lifestyle, needed Watson to ground him, decipher him, humanize him (and not just for the reader. I believe for the character.) Same for Watson, a sharp and capable man in his own right, drawn to the brilliance just a star or two above him, needing to understand, to know, to reach, to grow. They have always been, and likely will always be, my favourite literary couple, and I will never tire of their stories.

That said, if I sat and tried to think about the question as indeed a romantic couple, who would they be??? I have such a lifetime of reading that to single them out would be tricky and I spent a great deal of time pondering the notion. I liked D’Artagnan and Constance. I liked Peter Pan and Wendy. I disliked Hermione and Ron, disliked Lancelot and Guinevere. Really, I think I must have deliberately avoided books with romantic plotlines like the plague.

As I have always said, Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Lions of al-Rassan is probably my favourite novel and the relationship of characters Jehane and Ammar captivated me. Upon taking this deeper, Jehane and Ammar may well have been prototypes for Fallon and Kerris, and suddenly, things began to twig for me. I had stumbled upon a theme.

Fallon and Kerris, Ivy and Sebastien, even at a stretch, Aryss and Stormfall. The same relational dynamic was displayed. Why, I asked myself. Where did this theme start?

Then it hit me. Tarzan and Jane.

I was a big Burroughs buff in my youth (along with Wells, Verne, et al) and being a zoologist, the notion of a man not only living but thriving in the wild thrilled me. He was raw, natural and elemental, understanding things that were beyond the experience of civilized society. Now add Jane, a product of her environment but better, with an open mind, a thirst for knowledge and a desire for more than what society had set out for her. Just like Fallon, just like Ivy. The wild man of the elements? Kerris and Sebastien. Intellect drawn to instinct, and vice versa like the yin-yang symbol I so love.

It’s always there if I keep digging. Phineas Fogg wants more, Passepartout makes it happen. Holmes is the lighthouse, Watson the sandbar he is built upon. Cathy is the aristocracy, Heathcliff the anarchy. Stormfall at war in his life with the sticks. And so it goes. Whether it’s romantic, filial, or philosophical, my favourite couple is the coupling of opposites and how they ultimately bring harmony to a story and sometimes a happy ending.

Whew. That was tough! I should have just said Black Beauty and Ginger over a cup of tea. But I thank the person who asked this question. It really helped me put a spotlight on some of my own personal themes and tropes and I’m sure I’ll be thinking about this for weeks to come.

So I challenge you to think about who your favourite literary couples are, and why? Drop me a note once you’ve thought it through!(less)

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H. Leighton Dickson’s books

Average rating: 4.25 · 3,917 ratings · 789 reviews · 19 distinct works • Similar authors

	Dragon of Ash & Stars: The Autobiography of a Night Dragon (The Dragons of Solunas #1) 4.34 avg rating — 1,861 ratings — published 2016 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	To Journey in the Year of the Tiger (Upper Kingdom, #1) 3.93 avg rating — 474 ratings — published 2012 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ship of Spells 3.67 avg rating — 356 ratings — published 2025 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cold Stone & Ivy: The Ghost Club (The Empire of Steam, #1) 4.20 avg rating — 287 ratings — published 2016 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	To Walk in the Way of Lions (Upper Kingdom, #2) 4.30 avg rating — 227 ratings — published 2012 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Songs in the Year of the Cat (Upper Kingdom, #3) 4.45 avg rating — 186 ratings — published 2013 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dragon of Sand & Storm: The Autobiography of a Goddess (The Dragons of Solunas #2) 4.63 avg rating — 175 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cold Stone & Ivy: The Crown Prince (The Empire of Steam, #2) 4.38 avg rating — 98 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Snow in the Year of the Dragon (Upper Kingdom, #4) 4.50 avg rating — 90 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Swallowtail and Sword: The Scholar's Book of Story and Song 4.48 avg rating — 84 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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H. Leighton Dickson's Blog

A DRAGON Year and a Wonderland Agency

2024 marks the Lunar Year of the Dragon (Wood Dragon, to be exact) and this means a year marked by growth, vitality, and wisdom. I'm a Tiger girl, but first-born of a Dragon mom, and I can already attest to the incredible opportunities that this year is presenting!

There have been many changes since I blogged last. In the spirit of downsizing, my husband and I bought a 1950's bunglaow in '22, that Read more of this blog post »

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Published on March 03, 2024 03:48

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Series by H. Leighton Dickson

The Dragons of Solunas (2 books)
by

H. Leighton Dickson (Goodreads Author)

4.37 avg rating — 2,036 ratings

Upper Kingdom (4 books)
by

H. Leighton Dickson (Goodreads Author)

4.20 avg rating — 1,119 ratings

The Empire of Steam (2 books)
by

H. Leighton Dickson (Goodreads Author)

4.24 avg rating — 387 ratings

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H.’s Recent Updates

H. Dickson and 1 other person liked ꧁༺ L̴E̴X̴I̴E̴ ༻꧂'s review of Ship of Spells: "You had me at One Piece meets Shadow and Bone "
May 30, 2025 04:04AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
H. Dickson and 2 other people liked Kirinna's review of Ship of Spells: ""One Piece meets Shadow and Bone" Lmao b4real☠️🫠 Another Red Tower book but "a magical sentient ship that's bonded to a pirate captain" sounds like fun so I'm watching this. "
May 30, 2025 04:04AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
H. Dickson liked Karen Boyes's review of Cold Stone & Ivy 3: The Seventh House (The Empire of Steam): "I am absolutely obsessed with the cold stone and ivy series and this book took me on a wild and chaotic experience that I am so very grateful for! The ending was everything and more but how the characters got there was written so brilliantly that I c" Read more of this review »
Mar 22, 2025 02:08PM · see review

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Quotes by H. Leighton Dickson (?)

“Above all things, dragons are loyal. Perhaps that is what makes us to amenable to life with sticks. Our characters are larger than their shortfalls.”
― H. Leighton Dickson, Dragon of Ash & Stars: The Autobiography of a Night Dragon

tags: dragon, loyalty

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“We didn’t have words. We didn’t have writing or maps or language, but we had music and in that music, we spoke victory and loss, sadness and rage. We sang fire and water, earth and sky. We wrote the history of the Battle of Lamos and told the story of Selisanae of the Sun and wove the tragedy of the lives and deaths of dragons in every land. It was marvellous.”
― H. Leighton Dickson, Dragon of Ash & Stars: The Autobiography of a Night Dragon

tags: dragon, language, music, song, words

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“I shared the novice aviary with three other drakes - a moss green by name of SeaTorrent, a brown called Darkling, and a red with a love of food named Majentrix. All were young, perhaps half my size, and afraid of me. Understandably so.”
― H. Leighton Dickson, Dragon of Ash & Stars: The Autobiography of a Night Dragon

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H.’s Quotes

“I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth, then I ask myself the same question.”
― Harun Yahya

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“When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.”
― William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

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