Guest Review: Love in the Time of Dragons by Katie MacAlister

Tully Sullivan is justs like any other suburban mom—unless you count the days every year that she zones out and turns base metals into gold. Those are weird. And now she awakens in a strange place surrounded by strange people who keep insisting they are dragons and that she’s one too. But not just any dragon: she’s Ysolde de Bouchier, a famed figure from dragon history.

Tully can’t shape-shift or breathe fire, and she’s definitely not happy being sentenced to death for the misdeeds of a dragon mate she can’t remember. All Tully knows is that she wants her son back. So she’ll have to find a way to solve the crimes of a past she has no memory of living.

All of us have dreams from time to time and many of us remember our dreams in living color. But imagine if you were to go to sleep for five weeks at a time and while asleep you dream of being in another time and place and and then wake up in a strange house, without husband or son, in another country from your residence, and with people who appear to be spouting insanity. Tully Sullivan, aka Ysolde de Bouchier, is sure that she is going crazy, although her dreams/visions keep persisting after the initial five-week sleep, slowly coming to accept that there is something very different about her, and recognizing that someone has wiped her memories clean—she can’t remember how long she has been married nor can she remember the day her son Brom was born.

Katie Macalister is known for her engaging, fascinating, and complex paranormal tales which are full of twists and turns, unusual characters, and humorous dialogue. This novel is really a beautiful “yarn” – a story that includes legend and mystery, dreams and visions, – a tale that appears to be unbelievable but becomes more believable as it unfolds. I am not usually a fan of flash-backs but Macalister has used them to build her story in a very adroit way. I think it is a little confusing when Tully/Ysolde fades in and out of the present, especially in the latter pages of the book, but for the most part the plot is not difficult to follow, especially if one enjoys mystery and all the aspects of a complex plot.

This is also a very humorous book. Macalister has a marvelous ability with descriptive language, so much so that it is easy to visualize the characters and the scenes, many of which are really comical. There were a number of times that I started chuckling so much that I eventually could not stop. The dialogue is sparkling and witty. Bringing the sensibilities of ancient dragons into the modern world can make for some very funny situations. Tully is a gutsy, loud, upfront kind of woman who questions everything and loves with her whole heart. Her love for her son Brom is a strand throughout the book that keeps her grounded. This recognition of her ancient self and her challenge to make sense of that in her modern context makes for some fascinating reading. Macalister fans will find this another of her captivating literary efforts. I think you will also come to despise her husband who, unbeknownst to Tully is also an immortal, and who has been profiting from her alchemy during her annual fugues or periods of sleep when she is able to turn lead into gold. There are some surprises involving him as well.

This is a good read. However, this is not a book that you can rush through. It will require attention and some level of concentration to keep the characters and story line straight. But I think it is worth the effort.

I give this novel a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place

This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.