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One-Fifth Dragon
DRAGONS, ASSASSINS, AND NINJAS!
By a Baen Fantasy and Adventure Finalist and Indie Star
Cover by Dungeons and Dragons artist Todd Lockwood
They call themselves my found family, but they slaughtered my kin. Now, I will pay back the murderers in blood tenfold.
Their ruin is a mirror they polished themselves. They took me as a child and hammered me into a weapon.
They taught me the art of how to slip through a room like a shadow at noon, how to dress a face in lies until no one recognizes the man beneath. They taught the small, hands-on how to hide poison, how to slit a throat before the man can make a noise.
Most dangerous of all . . . they taught me patience. They taught me to never quit until the job was completed.
So let them sleep in their castles and whisper of safety. Let them keep their cleverness and secrets. I already know their sins. When darkness comes—and it will—I will be the thing beneath the floorboards, the breath on their necks, the quiet that becomes the scream. I will return what they took, multiplied by the cruelty they practiced.
Their hands built the blade.
Their choices sharpened it.
Their blood will be the prize.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
By a Baen Fantasy and Adventure Finalist and Indie Star
Cover by Dungeons and Dragons artist Todd Lockwood
They call themselves my found family, but they slaughtered my kin. Now, I will pay back the murderers in blood tenfold.
Their ruin is a mirror they polished themselves. They took me as a child and hammered me into a weapon.
They taught me the art of how to slip through a room like a shadow at noon, how to dress a face in lies until no one recognizes the man beneath. They taught the small, hands-on how to hide poison, how to slit a throat before the man can make a noise.
Most dangerous of all . . . they taught me patience. They taught me to never quit until the job was completed.
So let them sleep in their castles and whisper of safety. Let them keep their cleverness and secrets. I already know their sins. When darkness comes—and it will—I will be the thing beneath the floorboards, the breath on their necks, the quiet that becomes the scream. I will return what they took, multiplied by the cruelty they practiced.
Their hands built the blade.
Their choices sharpened it.
Their blood will be the prize.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
416 pages, Hardcover
Published August 4, 2026
About the author
Shami Stovall
42 books877 followersShami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.
If you want to contact her, you can do so at the following locations:
Website: https://sastovallauthor.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameOverStation/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAStovall/
Email: s.adelle.s@gmail.com
If you want to contact her, you can do so at the following locations:
Website: https://sastovallauthor.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameOverStation/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAStovall/
Email: s.adelle.s@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 5, 2026
What I expected: a traditional revenge story.
What I got: One amazing tale of justice, retribution, and a magical system that would make Brandon Sanderson jealous.
There is just something awesome when the lore of a novel doesn't outshine the story. For Stovall's "One-Fifth Dragon," the history and lore of the 100 clans who rule is a fantastic addition to a story that is compelling tale of justice, but not the usual sort. While the end is predicted in the very first chapter, the path to get there is not as straight as a reader might expect and, because of this, I really didn't know just how the book was going to end.
Right now, this is the top fantasy book of 2026 that I've read, hands down. It's arguably my favorite book of Shami's now as well, surpassing the excellent "Time-Marked Warlock."
What I got: One amazing tale of justice, retribution, and a magical system that would make Brandon Sanderson jealous.
There is just something awesome when the lore of a novel doesn't outshine the story. For Stovall's "One-Fifth Dragon," the history and lore of the 100 clans who rule is a fantastic addition to a story that is compelling tale of justice, but not the usual sort. While the end is predicted in the very first chapter, the path to get there is not as straight as a reader might expect and, because of this, I really didn't know just how the book was going to end.
Right now, this is the top fantasy book of 2026 that I've read, hands down. It's arguably my favorite book of Shami's now as well, surpassing the excellent "Time-Marked Warlock."
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
When I was presented with the opportunity to read and review the eArc for Shami Stovall's soon to be released One-Fifth Dragon, published by Baen Books, people might say that my excitement knew no bounds. Those people would be wrong though, because everything has bounds even if they are unknown or even immeasurable with the technologies we currently possess. It would be far more accurate to say that my excitement seemed to have no accurately measurable bounds, but that some day it may be possible to properly observe and accurately measure them.
Regardless, all my years of careful plotting and gleeful murder of innocent tacos had finally paid off, in the best possible way. I had in my possession an eArc copy of a Shami Stovall book. Something virtually undreamt of for all but a tiny fraction of human existence was mine. I wanted to run to the top of the tallest building and yell, "Suck it, Library of Alexandria!" at the top of my lungs. However, that would be undignified and could certainly be a factor in my upcoming hearing with the Book Reviewers Guild, regarding a trifling matter in which a previous review of mine exposed a time traveling abbess.
But I digress. We should try to stay focused on the book at hand, so I'll thank you to stop distracting me. Moving on, I sat down on my official Baen Luxury eArc Reading Cushion™, opened my Kindle and let the smell of electrons, fresh off the Baen ePub press, just wash over me and transport me to my happy place, which wasn't all that hard when you consider that my happy place is anywhere within 100 feet of my wife. Still, even though the journey was so short that it could be accurately described as "me literally not moving at all because my wife was about 20 feet away from where I was sitting," the entire experience deeply affected me and made me a better man with a kinder, gentler soul. That is the power that a Baen eArc has, but this one in particular reached out and proceeded to pound some (non)sense into my particularly dense skull.
Stunned and dismayed at my callous treatment by this novel, I lingered, torn with indecision as to my next steps, while I gathered my thoughts. Then, with a renewed sense of purpose, I got up, dusted myself off, and put on my fancy reviewing pants. Prepared to tackle the serious work ahead, I reseated myself upon my Official Ultimate Toni Weisskopf Edition Baen Luxury eArc Reading Cushion™, hand-painted and numbered by Todd Lockwood and adorned with a mural depicting Toni Weisskopf, resplendent in armor, locked in mortal combat with an enormous, fire-breathing creature unlike anything nature ever intended — upright and top-heavy, waddling on two stubby legs, its glossy black hide broken by a jarring swath of white across its belly as though it had wandered eternity dressed for a formal dinner none of the other guests could see, small useless-looking flippers held out for balance — gleefully setting towering stacks of classic novels ablaze with jets of flame, arranged myself so there would be no outside distractions, and settled in to search through the text of One-Fifth Dragon for the truth and wisdom it was most certainly predestined to contain. I pored through its pages seeking the one core truth it could offer me. A truth I could build the remainder of my life around. A truth I could hold aloft as a shining exemplar for the world, that they may see that redemption is possible, that they may know peace, if only they will surrender their life to the teachings contained within these timelessly profound pages.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I found that truth! I'm not sure what it was that finally triggered my epiphany. It could have been any combination of the following:
Brilliant and engaging story
Interesting characters
Intriguing world building
Constant well-written combat scenes
Astonishingly unexpected betrayals
Shockingly, even more unexpected unbetrayals
Murder and wholesale destruction of all who oppose the protagonist
Truly this is the feel good story of the decade, at least, possibly the century! Okay, okay, I'll stop fanboy gushing now and tell you the core truth this book has taught me.
It is perfectly acceptable to wantonly slaughter all the tacos you desire, regardless of their degree of innocence, as long as they betrayed you, even indirectly, or if you harbor even the slightest suspicion that they might at some time in the future betray you, even if that doubt wouldn't be called reasonable by any person possessing even an infinitesimal amount of rationality, as long as you're hungry or may become hungry in the future.
This book wiped away all the guilt of over half a century of questioning if what I was doing was right every time I feasted upon the carcasses of my slain taco enemies. The slate of guilt and shame that had been crippling my personal progress has finally been wiped clean, and my hunger is, at long last, well and truly satisfied!
Buy this book!
Let it set you free!
Let August 4th become your Independence Day!
I am now free, and I cannot wait for you all to join me!
Regardless, all my years of careful plotting and gleeful murder of innocent tacos had finally paid off, in the best possible way. I had in my possession an eArc copy of a Shami Stovall book. Something virtually undreamt of for all but a tiny fraction of human existence was mine. I wanted to run to the top of the tallest building and yell, "Suck it, Library of Alexandria!" at the top of my lungs. However, that would be undignified and could certainly be a factor in my upcoming hearing with the Book Reviewers Guild, regarding a trifling matter in which a previous review of mine exposed a time traveling abbess.
But I digress. We should try to stay focused on the book at hand, so I'll thank you to stop distracting me. Moving on, I sat down on my official Baen Luxury eArc Reading Cushion™, opened my Kindle and let the smell of electrons, fresh off the Baen ePub press, just wash over me and transport me to my happy place, which wasn't all that hard when you consider that my happy place is anywhere within 100 feet of my wife. Still, even though the journey was so short that it could be accurately described as "me literally not moving at all because my wife was about 20 feet away from where I was sitting," the entire experience deeply affected me and made me a better man with a kinder, gentler soul. That is the power that a Baen eArc has, but this one in particular reached out and proceeded to pound some (non)sense into my particularly dense skull.
Stunned and dismayed at my callous treatment by this novel, I lingered, torn with indecision as to my next steps, while I gathered my thoughts. Then, with a renewed sense of purpose, I got up, dusted myself off, and put on my fancy reviewing pants. Prepared to tackle the serious work ahead, I reseated myself upon my Official Ultimate Toni Weisskopf Edition Baen Luxury eArc Reading Cushion™, hand-painted and numbered by Todd Lockwood and adorned with a mural depicting Toni Weisskopf, resplendent in armor, locked in mortal combat with an enormous, fire-breathing creature unlike anything nature ever intended — upright and top-heavy, waddling on two stubby legs, its glossy black hide broken by a jarring swath of white across its belly as though it had wandered eternity dressed for a formal dinner none of the other guests could see, small useless-looking flippers held out for balance — gleefully setting towering stacks of classic novels ablaze with jets of flame, arranged myself so there would be no outside distractions, and settled in to search through the text of One-Fifth Dragon for the truth and wisdom it was most certainly predestined to contain. I pored through its pages seeking the one core truth it could offer me. A truth I could build the remainder of my life around. A truth I could hold aloft as a shining exemplar for the world, that they may see that redemption is possible, that they may know peace, if only they will surrender their life to the teachings contained within these timelessly profound pages.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I found that truth! I'm not sure what it was that finally triggered my epiphany. It could have been any combination of the following:
Brilliant and engaging story
Interesting characters
Intriguing world building
Constant well-written combat scenes
Astonishingly unexpected betrayals
Shockingly, even more unexpected unbetrayals
Murder and wholesale destruction of all who oppose the protagonist
Truly this is the feel good story of the decade, at least, possibly the century! Okay, okay, I'll stop fanboy gushing now and tell you the core truth this book has taught me.
It is perfectly acceptable to wantonly slaughter all the tacos you desire, regardless of their degree of innocence, as long as they betrayed you, even indirectly, or if you harbor even the slightest suspicion that they might at some time in the future betray you, even if that doubt wouldn't be called reasonable by any person possessing even an infinitesimal amount of rationality, as long as you're hungry or may become hungry in the future.
This book wiped away all the guilt of over half a century of questioning if what I was doing was right every time I feasted upon the carcasses of my slain taco enemies. The slate of guilt and shame that had been crippling my personal progress has finally been wiped clean, and my hunger is, at long last, well and truly satisfied!
Buy this book!
Let it set you free!
Let August 4th become your Independence Day!
I am now free, and I cannot wait for you all to join me!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
** This review can also be found at: https://fanfiaddict.com/review-one-fi...
****
If you’ve seen any of the John Wick films, you know what I’m talking about when I say that at times, they stretch the believability just a bit. You are shown just how good of an assassin that John Wick is, but at a certain point the numbers have to catch up, right? Like is he really good enough to be responsible for each of the over 400 credited kills (according to Reddit), without getting killed himself before the end of the fourth movie? Nearly 100 per film, yet he survives countless falls, hits, attempted gun shots, etc. Without classifying them as “fantasy” films, it does feel like they are a little hard to take seriously in a “grounded” world. Well, with One-Fifth Dragon, author Shami Stovall conveniently solves some of those issues by placing the entire revenge story in a fantasy world. It’s very successful at what it does and is a very enjoyable read, especially if this genre is up your alley.
Right off the bat, I’ll give the world-building top marks here. It’s an Asian-coded fantasy world with clans and ninjas, but there are dozens of clans who all get powers based on the ancient god-creature that serves as the clan’s ancestor. While the nature of the clans themselves invites some more questions, the inventiveness for some of these powers is really impressive and makes the action and fight scenes even more creative for the characters and the audience.
In One-Fifth Dragon, we follow Wraith, a ninja who was adopted into one clan after most of his own wa wiped out years before. He was created since then to be the perfect killing machine, until he finds out the truth of his original clan’s genocide. From there, Wraith goes on a methodical mission of vengeance, letting many of his clan walk away, but exacting revenge on only those who truly deserve it.
Now, the powers and clan dynamics offer some fun changes to the story, but overall One-Fifth Dragon is very linear. Stovall makes Wraith the only POV and, apart from a few flashbacks, we stay with him and his thoughts and feelings the entire time. It keeps you with the feelings of betrayal and revenge, but doesn’t let the story zag much in the end. One-Fifth Dragon is hugely successful at what it does and if that’s what you’re going for, you’ll probably love this book.
I was also treated to the audiobook version of One-Fifth Dragon, narrated by Phil Thron. First off, I love Thron’s voice and would absolutely sign up for another book read by him. With that in mind, this was the weakest part of the book for me. Wraith is supposed to be just about 20 years-old, fairly young and brash. Thron’s voice belies that age and makes the main character sound mature and wizened at probably the ripe age in his mid-50s or so. Again, there are tons of books where his voice would settle me in quickly for what the book was, but I just didn’t feel this book and narrator were good fits.
Overall, I enjoyed One-Fifth Dragon by Shami Stovall and the revenge story at its heart. Along the way, Wraith has to decide who his real clan is and there are some fun and delightful elements of found family throughout as well.
Thank you to Tantor Media for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
****
If you’ve seen any of the John Wick films, you know what I’m talking about when I say that at times, they stretch the believability just a bit. You are shown just how good of an assassin that John Wick is, but at a certain point the numbers have to catch up, right? Like is he really good enough to be responsible for each of the over 400 credited kills (according to Reddit), without getting killed himself before the end of the fourth movie? Nearly 100 per film, yet he survives countless falls, hits, attempted gun shots, etc. Without classifying them as “fantasy” films, it does feel like they are a little hard to take seriously in a “grounded” world. Well, with One-Fifth Dragon, author Shami Stovall conveniently solves some of those issues by placing the entire revenge story in a fantasy world. It’s very successful at what it does and is a very enjoyable read, especially if this genre is up your alley.
Right off the bat, I’ll give the world-building top marks here. It’s an Asian-coded fantasy world with clans and ninjas, but there are dozens of clans who all get powers based on the ancient god-creature that serves as the clan’s ancestor. While the nature of the clans themselves invites some more questions, the inventiveness for some of these powers is really impressive and makes the action and fight scenes even more creative for the characters and the audience.
In One-Fifth Dragon, we follow Wraith, a ninja who was adopted into one clan after most of his own wa wiped out years before. He was created since then to be the perfect killing machine, until he finds out the truth of his original clan’s genocide. From there, Wraith goes on a methodical mission of vengeance, letting many of his clan walk away, but exacting revenge on only those who truly deserve it.
Now, the powers and clan dynamics offer some fun changes to the story, but overall One-Fifth Dragon is very linear. Stovall makes Wraith the only POV and, apart from a few flashbacks, we stay with him and his thoughts and feelings the entire time. It keeps you with the feelings of betrayal and revenge, but doesn’t let the story zag much in the end. One-Fifth Dragon is hugely successful at what it does and if that’s what you’re going for, you’ll probably love this book.
I was also treated to the audiobook version of One-Fifth Dragon, narrated by Phil Thron. First off, I love Thron’s voice and would absolutely sign up for another book read by him. With that in mind, this was the weakest part of the book for me. Wraith is supposed to be just about 20 years-old, fairly young and brash. Thron’s voice belies that age and makes the main character sound mature and wizened at probably the ripe age in his mid-50s or so. Again, there are tons of books where his voice would settle me in quickly for what the book was, but I just didn’t feel this book and narrator were good fits.
Overall, I enjoyed One-Fifth Dragon by Shami Stovall and the revenge story at its heart. Along the way, Wraith has to decide who his real clan is and there are some fun and delightful elements of found family throughout as well.
Thank you to Tantor Media for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
August 5, 2026
One-Fifth Dragon is kind of a coming-of-age assassin fantasy book. The main character is one of only 7 survivors of his clan that comes from the bloodline of a Red Dragon that offers blood magic, but not the blood magic we normally see in a fantasy book. This blood magic is the ability to change the very nature of the person being touched including the wielder of the magic themselves should they choose. The MC is raised to be the perfect assassin, targeting the clan that is supposed to have killed their whole family and clan. Towards the beginning of the book we learn that the enemy clan is not the culprit of the genocide, it is the clan they are fighting for. And thus ensues the revenge...
Shami Stovall is an author I follow because I like her fairly unique magic systems and light YA/adult writing style. The magic system in One-Fifth Dragon does not disappoint for out of the standard fantasy box thinking. The world building is good but light. The magic system is explained sufficiently to leave more to be revealed. The dialogue is what I normally would expect to see in a YA book. The romance is light for most of the book but there is one fairly explicit sex scene which would put it more in the realm of adult.
Narration is good with good range of voices for the various characters. Speed of 1.5x seems to be optimal. Phil Thron has consistently been a good narrator in my experience, and this did not disappoint.
Writing 4/5
Narration 4.25/5
Overall 4/5
Shami Stovall is an author I follow because I like her fairly unique magic systems and light YA/adult writing style. The magic system in One-Fifth Dragon does not disappoint for out of the standard fantasy box thinking. The world building is good but light. The magic system is explained sufficiently to leave more to be revealed. The dialogue is what I normally would expect to see in a YA book. The romance is light for most of the book but there is one fairly explicit sex scene which would put it more in the realm of adult.
Narration is good with good range of voices for the various characters. Speed of 1.5x seems to be optimal. Phil Thron has consistently been a good narrator in my experience, and this did not disappoint.
Writing 4/5
Narration 4.25/5
Overall 4/5
August 7, 2026
grateful to NetGalley, the Author, and Publishers for granting me this audiobook ARC!
this was such a thrilling, fast-paced read from beginning to end. the world and premise felt incredibly unique, and i was hooked almost immediately. i really liked how detailed and distinctive the magic system was as alongside the pretty evocative writing, it made the world feel so immersive. the fight scenes were also incredibly fun and detailed, although sometimes a little too gory for me, but they definitely kept things interesting and intense.
my biggest issue was that, despite how original the premise was, the execution felt a little too predictable at times. some of the plot lines and character arcs were quite easy to see coming. our main character was definitely very layered and complex, feeling very real and well-developed, but some of the other characters could have used more depth and fleshing out.
i did listen to the audiobook, and the narrator was good enough overall. his stoic delivery suited the MC, but i felt it sometimes made the more emotional and hard-hitting moments lose some of their impact.
all in all, this was a very solid and entertaining book. it felt incredibly cinematic and evocative—i could genuinely picture it as a movie. i had a good time and i’m interested in seeing if we get more of this word at some point!
this was such a thrilling, fast-paced read from beginning to end. the world and premise felt incredibly unique, and i was hooked almost immediately. i really liked how detailed and distinctive the magic system was as alongside the pretty evocative writing, it made the world feel so immersive. the fight scenes were also incredibly fun and detailed, although sometimes a little too gory for me, but they definitely kept things interesting and intense.
my biggest issue was that, despite how original the premise was, the execution felt a little too predictable at times. some of the plot lines and character arcs were quite easy to see coming. our main character was definitely very layered and complex, feeling very real and well-developed, but some of the other characters could have used more depth and fleshing out.
i did listen to the audiobook, and the narrator was good enough overall. his stoic delivery suited the MC, but i felt it sometimes made the more emotional and hard-hitting moments lose some of their impact.
all in all, this was a very solid and entertaining book. it felt incredibly cinematic and evocative—i could genuinely picture it as a movie. i had a good time and i’m interested in seeing if we get more of this word at some point!
August 3, 2026
Shami Stovall’s story, One-Fifth Dragon is jam packed with avenging action!
Audio review: I often forgot the main character is a male in his 20s, as the narrator’s voice is very mature sounding and does not give 20ish years old vibes. The narrator did do a good job making sure the listener can distinguish between who is speaking. I never felt confused as to who was speaking. The speed was so slow! I had to move this audiobook to 2x speed which I’ve never done before. Otherwise it was painstakingly way too slow. The audio quality was good.
As for the story, Stovall was not shy in including well-thought out avenging action scenes developing in the plot for the main character to avenge his peoples’ deaths. If you like dragons, ninjas, assassins, and more, with a good avenging arc, this is for you! I haven’t read the ebook/physical version of this book, but listening to this audio version is worth it you are giving this story a green light.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen and give an honest review.
Audio review: I often forgot the main character is a male in his 20s, as the narrator’s voice is very mature sounding and does not give 20ish years old vibes. The narrator did do a good job making sure the listener can distinguish between who is speaking. I never felt confused as to who was speaking. The speed was so slow! I had to move this audiobook to 2x speed which I’ve never done before. Otherwise it was painstakingly way too slow. The audio quality was good.
As for the story, Stovall was not shy in including well-thought out avenging action scenes developing in the plot for the main character to avenge his peoples’ deaths. If you like dragons, ninjas, assassins, and more, with a good avenging arc, this is for you! I haven’t read the ebook/physical version of this book, but listening to this audio version is worth it you are giving this story a green light.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen and give an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed the fight choreography in this book especially at the end. The author did a good job of writing it so the reader could easily envision what was happening. The magic system was also a highlight. Each clan had an interesting and unique ability.
Beyond that this story is the traditional ninja revenge/vengeance/justice plot line with the usual cast of characters. This is one of those books that I would like to see animated. I think it would work well on screen.
The audiobook narrator did a good job. He has that calm tone and inflection that many narrators have when reading this type of story line.
Beyond that this story is the traditional ninja revenge/vengeance/justice plot line with the usual cast of characters. This is one of those books that I would like to see animated. I think it would work well on screen.
The audiobook narrator did a good job. He has that calm tone and inflection that many narrators have when reading this type of story line.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was an exciting story of revenge against the people who called them his family who murdered the kin. It was very intriguing and kept me glued to my listening device. The narrator had a very cool and calming tone as he narrated this audiobook. This book and this audiobook book is a definite 5 star for me. I highly recommend
August 5, 2026
I liked this story it was a different type of fantasy and great how ninja magic and descendants of creatures come together in this great plot!
August 7, 2026
Oh this is a good one
Shami has given us great characters, awesome world building, and a wonderful magic system. I hope that more books in this world will follow.
Shami has given us great characters, awesome world building, and a wonderful magic system. I hope that more books in this world will follow.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Ruthless Magic Ninja
I purchased an electronic advance reader copy of this book directly from the publisher at baen.com. I encourage you not to wait for the official publication date and to do the same.
Over a hundred ninja clans rule the world of One-Fifth Dragon, each one descended from a magical god-beast that grants its descendants powers and unique eye colors. The ninjas of the Chollima Clan, descendants of the Pegasus, can alter gravity and have storm-cloud gray eyes. The ninjas of the Bake-Kujira Clan, descendants of the Lich Whale, can siphon life and have black-gray eyes.
In revenge for the near-complete annihilation of his clan when he was a child, a descendant of the Red Dragon (with red eyes to match) has spent his entire life learning how to kill from the most ruthless man in his adopted clan, until he is a feared master ninja known as Wraith.
Then, in chapter one, Wraith learns that he has spent his entire life slaughtering the wrong people.
The fight scenes are realistic, the tactics used by Wraith and enemies alike are sound, and he rarely walks away from a serious battle unscathed. Despite his obvious skill, Wraith is also constantly seeking to improve, noting ways he could have done a better job killing people despite the high bar he sets from the first page. He is driven, too stubborn to die, and too stubborn to turn from the path he set for himself, despite everyone telling him his plan is a bad idea, which is going to get him killed.
I have been a long-time fan of Shami Stovall, and every year I come across one book that is better than all she has written before. For 2026, I think that book is One-Fifth Dragon.
I purchased an electronic advance reader copy of this book directly from the publisher at baen.com. I encourage you not to wait for the official publication date and to do the same.
Over a hundred ninja clans rule the world of One-Fifth Dragon, each one descended from a magical god-beast that grants its descendants powers and unique eye colors. The ninjas of the Chollima Clan, descendants of the Pegasus, can alter gravity and have storm-cloud gray eyes. The ninjas of the Bake-Kujira Clan, descendants of the Lich Whale, can siphon life and have black-gray eyes.
In revenge for the near-complete annihilation of his clan when he was a child, a descendant of the Red Dragon (with red eyes to match) has spent his entire life learning how to kill from the most ruthless man in his adopted clan, until he is a feared master ninja known as Wraith.
Then, in chapter one, Wraith learns that he has spent his entire life slaughtering the wrong people.
The fight scenes are realistic, the tactics used by Wraith and enemies alike are sound, and he rarely walks away from a serious battle unscathed. Despite his obvious skill, Wraith is also constantly seeking to improve, noting ways he could have done a better job killing people despite the high bar he sets from the first page. He is driven, too stubborn to die, and too stubborn to turn from the path he set for himself, despite everyone telling him his plan is a bad idea, which is going to get him killed.
I have been a long-time fan of Shami Stovall, and every year I come across one book that is better than all she has written before. For 2026, I think that book is One-Fifth Dragon.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews