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Reunification #2
Dragon Bound
The hidden city of dragons.
Arten is a young girl whose body courses with powerful magic. After escaping religious zealots who wanted to burn her alive with the help of a shapeshifting dragon, she finds herself in a new danger from a city full of draconic beasts who covet her power for their own.
Stekin was once the lord of all dragons, but he returns to find his city in shambles and danger lurking around every corner. The haven he once sought to protect is falling apart, and only with the help of his young human ward can he hope to pull it back together.
Even as their enemies close in on them, Arten is faced with an even greater peril. If she cannot learn to tame the power within her, she’ll flare out and die. But even if she succeeds, how will she escape a lifetime in thrall to some brutish dragon that awaits her?
Arten is a young girl whose body courses with powerful magic. After escaping religious zealots who wanted to burn her alive with the help of a shapeshifting dragon, she finds herself in a new danger from a city full of draconic beasts who covet her power for their own.
Stekin was once the lord of all dragons, but he returns to find his city in shambles and danger lurking around every corner. The haven he once sought to protect is falling apart, and only with the help of his young human ward can he hope to pull it back together.
Even as their enemies close in on them, Arten is faced with an even greater peril. If she cannot learn to tame the power within her, she’ll flare out and die. But even if she succeeds, how will she escape a lifetime in thrall to some brutish dragon that awaits her?
- GenresDragons
349 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 31, 2020
2 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 14, 2020
After falling in love with Arten and Stekin on their adventures in Dragon Source, I was excited to see what they did next, in the dragon city of New Respite. I enjoyed learning the culture of the dragons and the sources, seeing the unique relationship between Arten and Stekin deepen, and getting more glimpses of the dragons’ history, particularly the mysterious Sundering. The story was full of intrigue and discovery, but my favorite part was, as before, Arten’s growing strength and confidence. I cannot wait to see what she does in the future; I think she’s going to turn into a hero for her people and the dragons and I look forward to it!
December 20, 2020
I enjoyed this book even more than Dragon Source, which is saying a lot. Something about Birmingham's style and voice has refined down to crystal in this work, and I can't wait to see what his books read like as the series continues.
This book had more dragons, more sources, more chaos, and higher stakes. It's everything you could want in a sequel, and it's the book I was most looking forward to in 2020.
This book had more dragons, more sources, more chaos, and higher stakes. It's everything you could want in a sequel, and it's the book I was most looking forward to in 2020.
September 3, 2025
If there's one thing that resonates strongly through both of Glenn Birmingham's novels thus far, it's the idea of freedom. What does it mean to be free? What does it mean to have a choice? Is freedom simply equivalent to the presence of choice, or is it something more? And is it better to express yourself, to do what you wish, to strive to live by your own whims, but wind up dead or dying or cast out in the process, or is it better to fall in line, to comply with structure and dogma and tradition, to put on a face for your betters and rest as comfortably as you can in the safety this gives you?
Dragon Bound is the sequel to Dragon Source, and the second book in a planned series that, from what I understand, will be a rather long running one, but only has two installments released at this time. Dragon Source was an interesting read that introduced a fresh and unique voice to the world of fantasy with some fascinating worldbuilding and ideas, but ultimately suffered from an overly long middle section that spent too much time asking questions and not enough time exploring or answering them. Dragon Bound picks up where it left off and begins to genuinely wrestle with these ideas, providing an experience that takes leaps and strides in cashing in on the story's full potential and showing the audience that yes, this is going somewhere and yes, it's going to be worth the journey to get there.
The dragon's city, as it was introduced in concept in Dragon Source, could very well be a utopia in another story; a hidden place outside of an oppressive society where one could live freely and happily in a place that respects them for who they are. This is, however, not the case. Even in Dragon Source, Arten never really believed that where she was going was going to be inherently better than where she came from; only that it would keep her alive. Now, she finds herself trading one rigid, oppressive society for another. The city of the dragons doesn't strip individuals of their sense of self-worth with sadistic glee, doesn't burn them alive for possession of the power that marked Arten as a sacrifice, but it is a stiff, unhappy place where there is little freedom or choice. Sources live at the whims of their dragons in strict, repressive bourgeiose societies that shun those who act against what is deemed proper, and most of the dragons who watch over them are shallow shells of their ancestors who used to live freely. They have wealth and power but they have constructed for themselves a rigid structure of conduct, transgression from which is harshly punishable, often by death, and even worse. There are reasons that things are like this; it is possible that the rules have to be this way to protect the fragile human sources that the dragons draw from, and years of hardship and strife have clearly provided the material conditions needed for a society to get to this point. I'm a very anti-authoritarian person, but even I found myself questioning just what the right way forward in this situation was. It's a society so broken from the inside, so tainted by its own misery, that there doesn't seem to be a possible happy ending for anyone.
It is over this backdrop that our protagonists find themselves struggling against the ropes that have bound them. Both of them are, in effect slaves. Arten is a slave to her power, to the expectations of her community and to the dragon she will inevitably source to. She is given the choice in this matter, but it is not a meaningful one; she cannot opt out of the system or she will die. Stekin is a slave to his people and their expectations, his power and the enemies it draws, and his ruthless past and the consequences it has wrought. Both of them are drawn inexplicably to each other, and their relationship is complicated, messy, and hard to define. It threatens to topple the status quo over, and so it is labeled inappropriate, and they are hated for it. But perhaps there is a path ahead where they can rise above this and find a better way, a better future, if not for society than at least for Arten.
There are villains of a sort in Dragon Bound; scheming political rivals, harmful criminals and the like, but there is no antagonist. Like Dragon Source before it, this is a world held down not by a single evil tyrant but by invisible structures and unknowable currents of power that have been built up over a long, long time. It's now easier for me to see where Dragon Source was building to, the kind of story it wanted to tell, and it's better in hindsight I think. That is definitely the mark of a good sequel and a good series beginning to unfold.
I have to be honest, I don't know how much of this is really the story that I wanted it to be. It took me a bit to get over the use of shape-shifting; I really don't like it when dragons shift into human forms. It's more of a pet peeve than a criticism, but I often find that it is a cop out from exploring more interesting aspects of existence as a non-human creature. I find dragons more interesting than humans most of the time and when they are functionally human, well... It takes away from the charm for me. I have a lot of dragon fan friends who will not particularly enjoy this for that reason alone and while I'm not entirley sure it's "fair" I do get it. I quite frankly don't like how often Stekin is in human form (Kylik is honestly my favorite dragon in this and I think that's in large part because he is pretty much never in human form). But as I kept reading I realized that that was my own bias and not an actual flaw in the story here; there is something that Glenn is trying to convey about about Stekin's character and the themes he represents via the form that he takes. It is a part of the story.
Overall, Dragon Bound is an improvement on Dragon Source that subsequently props up its predecessor as well. There are some things that didn't entirely sit right with me - Stekin's ideas of law and order and the concept of "deviance" - but I'm not going to elaborate on them because I have the sense that this is far from the final word on those topics, and we'll be revisiting this and exploring it a lot more before we reach a conclusion on them. I have a feeling Glenn is going to be a fascinating voice telling interesting and important stories that deserve more traction than they're getting, and I hope that as he writes more he'll get more attention, because this is building to something interesting and I'm fascinated to see where it goes.
Dragon Bound is the sequel to Dragon Source, and the second book in a planned series that, from what I understand, will be a rather long running one, but only has two installments released at this time. Dragon Source was an interesting read that introduced a fresh and unique voice to the world of fantasy with some fascinating worldbuilding and ideas, but ultimately suffered from an overly long middle section that spent too much time asking questions and not enough time exploring or answering them. Dragon Bound picks up where it left off and begins to genuinely wrestle with these ideas, providing an experience that takes leaps and strides in cashing in on the story's full potential and showing the audience that yes, this is going somewhere and yes, it's going to be worth the journey to get there.
The dragon's city, as it was introduced in concept in Dragon Source, could very well be a utopia in another story; a hidden place outside of an oppressive society where one could live freely and happily in a place that respects them for who they are. This is, however, not the case. Even in Dragon Source, Arten never really believed that where she was going was going to be inherently better than where she came from; only that it would keep her alive. Now, she finds herself trading one rigid, oppressive society for another. The city of the dragons doesn't strip individuals of their sense of self-worth with sadistic glee, doesn't burn them alive for possession of the power that marked Arten as a sacrifice, but it is a stiff, unhappy place where there is little freedom or choice. Sources live at the whims of their dragons in strict, repressive bourgeiose societies that shun those who act against what is deemed proper, and most of the dragons who watch over them are shallow shells of their ancestors who used to live freely. They have wealth and power but they have constructed for themselves a rigid structure of conduct, transgression from which is harshly punishable, often by death, and even worse. There are reasons that things are like this; it is possible that the rules have to be this way to protect the fragile human sources that the dragons draw from, and years of hardship and strife have clearly provided the material conditions needed for a society to get to this point. I'm a very anti-authoritarian person, but even I found myself questioning just what the right way forward in this situation was. It's a society so broken from the inside, so tainted by its own misery, that there doesn't seem to be a possible happy ending for anyone.
It is over this backdrop that our protagonists find themselves struggling against the ropes that have bound them. Both of them are, in effect slaves. Arten is a slave to her power, to the expectations of her community and to the dragon she will inevitably source to. She is given the choice in this matter, but it is not a meaningful one; she cannot opt out of the system or she will die. Stekin is a slave to his people and their expectations, his power and the enemies it draws, and his ruthless past and the consequences it has wrought. Both of them are drawn inexplicably to each other, and their relationship is complicated, messy, and hard to define. It threatens to topple the status quo over, and so it is labeled inappropriate, and they are hated for it. But perhaps there is a path ahead where they can rise above this and find a better way, a better future, if not for society than at least for Arten.
There are villains of a sort in Dragon Bound; scheming political rivals, harmful criminals and the like, but there is no antagonist. Like Dragon Source before it, this is a world held down not by a single evil tyrant but by invisible structures and unknowable currents of power that have been built up over a long, long time. It's now easier for me to see where Dragon Source was building to, the kind of story it wanted to tell, and it's better in hindsight I think. That is definitely the mark of a good sequel and a good series beginning to unfold.
I have to be honest, I don't know how much of this is really the story that I wanted it to be. It took me a bit to get over the use of shape-shifting; I really don't like it when dragons shift into human forms. It's more of a pet peeve than a criticism, but I often find that it is a cop out from exploring more interesting aspects of existence as a non-human creature. I find dragons more interesting than humans most of the time and when they are functionally human, well... It takes away from the charm for me. I have a lot of dragon fan friends who will not particularly enjoy this for that reason alone and while I'm not entirley sure it's "fair" I do get it. I quite frankly don't like how often Stekin is in human form (Kylik is honestly my favorite dragon in this and I think that's in large part because he is pretty much never in human form). But as I kept reading I realized that that was my own bias and not an actual flaw in the story here; there is something that Glenn is trying to convey about about Stekin's character and the themes he represents via the form that he takes. It is a part of the story.
Overall, Dragon Bound is an improvement on Dragon Source that subsequently props up its predecessor as well. There are some things that didn't entirely sit right with me - Stekin's ideas of law and order and the concept of "deviance" - but I'm not going to elaborate on them because I have the sense that this is far from the final word on those topics, and we'll be revisiting this and exploring it a lot more before we reach a conclusion on them. I have a feeling Glenn is going to be a fascinating voice telling interesting and important stories that deserve more traction than they're getting, and I hope that as he writes more he'll get more attention, because this is building to something interesting and I'm fascinated to see where it goes.
January 17, 2021
This is a facinating tale from the perspective of a young girl juxtaposed against wisdom and traditions of ancient dragons. The inclusivity of non heterosexual relations is appreciated as well as exploration of a “functioning” society of proletariat vs. bourgeosie. Looking forward to the next one in this series!
July 21, 2023
One would think Arten has reached a haven to people sharing her condition.
But reality turns out more tangled. During the long absence of their leader, unrest has built in the little community of dragons and their human sources.
Dire crimes commited, and perhaps not fully corrected, personal schemes at work.
Arten finds herself in an unexpected loneliness in the middle of a community that rejects here for untold reasons, while she struggles to understand her undecipherable warden whose past hide unsuspected shadows, and who can have the hardest of times understanding the simplest of her needs, like that of being seen as a person rather than a status.
And still, the lingering threat of her untidy power that could destroy her from inside anytime.
Unsettling setting of a city of slaves, perhaps well treated but slaves still, whose only alternatives were this or the pyre. Maybe, other ways could be found, but change is hard to craft and enforce, especially when a long history, mostly ignored from many, and that if known, could ignite its own brand of chaos, weighs on customs.
On he side of the dragons, they're a fragile remains of a past long gone, a community of few that seems ready to collapse into chaos, would they lack a strong leader.
The conflict between the duties of Stekin and his own past, between Arten's feelings, her need for self-determination and acknowledgment, are highlights of this book.
If Arten's position will be determined by the end of this book, the overall future of this microsociety remains on the razor's edge.
Outside threats are hinted but given their systemic issues, an outside attack might actually be a boon, forcing them away from self-destructing tendencies. Only my impression, the next book will show...
More shapeshifting in this book, mainly Stekin who seems to have his reasons to prefer being in a human's hide a lot of his time. Sometimes it happens for a clear reason, sometimes it seems more casual and these were hard on me, I'm really not fond of the process. Despite this, the character and the alien feelings are interestingly developed, Stekin human form sometimes being leveraged to emphasize that he's not in fact, human. So, I've mitigated feelings on this part : on one side I really do cringe shapeshifting in general, on the other it's being used in an interesting way.
Writing is still as clean as the first, little to say on this side.
Still on the upper tier.
But reality turns out more tangled. During the long absence of their leader, unrest has built in the little community of dragons and their human sources.
Dire crimes commited, and perhaps not fully corrected, personal schemes at work.
Arten finds herself in an unexpected loneliness in the middle of a community that rejects here for untold reasons, while she struggles to understand her undecipherable warden whose past hide unsuspected shadows, and who can have the hardest of times understanding the simplest of her needs, like that of being seen as a person rather than a status.
And still, the lingering threat of her untidy power that could destroy her from inside anytime.
Unsettling setting of a city of slaves, perhaps well treated but slaves still, whose only alternatives were this or the pyre. Maybe, other ways could be found, but change is hard to craft and enforce, especially when a long history, mostly ignored from many, and that if known, could ignite its own brand of chaos, weighs on customs.
On he side of the dragons, they're a fragile remains of a past long gone, a community of few that seems ready to collapse into chaos, would they lack a strong leader.
The conflict between the duties of Stekin and his own past, between Arten's feelings, her need for self-determination and acknowledgment, are highlights of this book.
If Arten's position will be determined by the end of this book, the overall future of this microsociety remains on the razor's edge.
Outside threats are hinted but given their systemic issues, an outside attack might actually be a boon, forcing them away from self-destructing tendencies. Only my impression, the next book will show...
More shapeshifting in this book, mainly Stekin who seems to have his reasons to prefer being in a human's hide a lot of his time. Sometimes it happens for a clear reason, sometimes it seems more casual and these were hard on me, I'm really not fond of the process. Despite this, the character and the alien feelings are interestingly developed, Stekin human form sometimes being leveraged to emphasize that he's not in fact, human. So, I've mitigated feelings on this part : on one side I really do cringe shapeshifting in general, on the other it's being used in an interesting way.
Writing is still as clean as the first, little to say on this side.
Still on the upper tier.
April 18, 2022
Glenn’s story weaving really shines in his second book. I particularly enjoy how we begin to explore dragon culture. We also get to more intimately understand Arten and Stekin. Everything feels organic, connected, and thoroughly satisfying. If one didn’t find Dragon Source compelling, this book puts them to shame by being simultaneously fulfilling and leaving the reader wanting for more. Simply excellent.
How I Use the Rating System
1: There is no 0 on the provided scale, so I use this as a 0. I find no redeeming qualities and would not suggest the title to anyone for any reason.
2: I hated the work and regret wasting my time reading it, but find or understand that it has some value.
3: Average. I don’t regret having read it, but what I received as an experience was nominal.
4: I enjoyed or found value in the title, but it’s not something I would recommend to everyone, or I would not consider rereading it, or there was a significant flaw that prevented it from being a 5.
5: I enjoyed it so thoroughly I would reread it and recommend it to just about anyone. Or I found it so valuable that I felt it deserved such a rating.
How I Use the Rating System
1: There is no 0 on the provided scale, so I use this as a 0. I find no redeeming qualities and would not suggest the title to anyone for any reason.
2: I hated the work and regret wasting my time reading it, but find or understand that it has some value.
3: Average. I don’t regret having read it, but what I received as an experience was nominal.
4: I enjoyed or found value in the title, but it’s not something I would recommend to everyone, or I would not consider rereading it, or there was a significant flaw that prevented it from being a 5.
5: I enjoyed it so thoroughly I would reread it and recommend it to just about anyone. Or I found it so valuable that I felt it deserved such a rating.
March 3, 2023
Probably 4.5*, rounded up.
Didn't quite hit the same heights as book 1, probably because it suffered in the same way most middle books do - the plot felt a bit more unfocused and it wasn't apparent just where it was heading. Fascinating to learn about the dragon culture though, and I'm sure there's still a lot more to learn in the next book.
Characters were great, even if I was frustrated at them a few times for simply not talking honestly to each other, which would have solved so many of their problems. But it also didn't feel out of character for them to evade the truth.
A good read - keen to see where this goes. Still hoping for some of the characters left behind early in book 1 to make a reappearance.
Didn't quite hit the same heights as book 1, probably because it suffered in the same way most middle books do - the plot felt a bit more unfocused and it wasn't apparent just where it was heading. Fascinating to learn about the dragon culture though, and I'm sure there's still a lot more to learn in the next book.
Characters were great, even if I was frustrated at them a few times for simply not talking honestly to each other, which would have solved so many of their problems. But it also didn't feel out of character for them to evade the truth.
A good read - keen to see where this goes. Still hoping for some of the characters left behind early in book 1 to make a reappearance.
August 1, 2024
DNF. The author completely lost me when a trained healer demanded a completely unskilled individual perform a surgery on the grounds that she's more dexterous than he is. It's a gruesome concept for a scene that I wouldn't want to read if everything made sense, but this doesn't make sense.
November 30, 2021
such a good read
this is such a compelling tale, I've enjoyed every page. looking forward, very much, to what is to come on book 3
this is such a compelling tale, I've enjoyed every page. looking forward, very much, to what is to come on book 3
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews