A.M. Tuomala lives in western New York, somewhere between Niagara Gorge and the Eternal Flame. In addition to hiking those sublime landscapes, Tuomala enjoys researching Gothic fiction, collecting rocks, and building new worlds. Tuomala's debut novel, Erekos, was released in September of 2010 by Candlemark & Gleam. Hir second novel,Drakon, was released in December of 2016.

Some of Tuomala's favorite books are Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence, Yoon Ha Lee's Machineries of Empire, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, theDiscworld series, Octavia Butler's work, the Silmarillion, and the Octavian Nothing books. Zie also loves tabletop gaming and watching welding videoson YouTube.

Drakon by A.M. Tuomala

The year is 1880. A hundred years ago, the Ottoman Empire bought the allegiance of the dragons—and ever since, the Tarasov family has stood guard on the disputed borderlands.

Now, with the autocratic patriarch Vladimir Petrovich at their head, the Tarasovs have become a tattered remnant of their former glory. Elizaveta, the last Tarasov soldier, heir to Vladimir's cruel legacy. Pyotr, the engineer with dreams of flight. And Innokentiy, the traitor who fled to the academies of Saint Petersburg.

As war looms in the south and foreign troops crowd Russia's fortresses, Vladimir's three children must return to their ancestral home to confront the past that drove them apart. But the bloodthirsty dragons they've fought all their lives aren't what they seem, and neither are the humans around them, friend and foe alike.

Splintered by internal strife, hounded by interlopers, and beset by Turkish forces, the Tarasov family must overcome their bad blood—or tear each other apart.

CURATOR'S NOTE

Drakon by A. M. Tuomala (listed among the year's best fantasy by the American Library Association) is Game of Thrones meets War and Peace—and its dragons, original takes on lóng lore, are uniquely different from those of Le Guin's Earthsea or Novik's Temeraire. The year is 1880. A hundred years ago, the Ottoman Empire bought the allegiance of the dragons—and ever since, the Tarasov family has stood guard on the disputed borderlands. Now the Tarasovs have become a tattered remnant of their former glory. As war looms in the south and foreign troops crowd Russia's fortresses, the three surviving Tarasovs must return to their ancestral home to confront the past that drove them apart. But the bloodthirsty dragons they've fought all their lives aren't what they seem, and neither are the humans around them, friend and foe alike. Splintered by internal strife, hounded by interlopers, and beset by Turkish forces, the Tarasov family must overcome their bad blood—or tear each other apart. – Athena Andreadis

 

REVIEWS

  • "Tuomala's first book since her 2010 debut, Erekos, is a powerful and meticulously realized work of historical fantasy tying Russian sociopolitical movements to legends of dragons. /…/ This sophomore offering cements Tuomala's reputation as an important current voice in the genre."

    – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  • "While the plot is complex, the author balances all the story elements very well, and the world is fully realized. Great writing, dragons, and interesting characters make this book highly recommended for all fantasy collections."

    – Lynnanne Pearson, Booklist (starred review)

  • "A consistently compelling fantasy novel, Drakon clearly showcases author A. M. Tuomala's genuine flair for originality and creativity. Unfailingly engaging and entertaining, "Drakon" is unreservedly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections."

    – Midwest Book Review
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

By noon, the cold had grown so deep that Elizaveta was forced to give up her spyglass—the heat of her body was fogging up the eyepiece, and no amount of wiping could get it warm enough to stay clear. Not that it would do much good in any case, since the clouds lay so thickly across the sky that she couldn't find the sun through them, but it wasn't the Tarasov way to let incapacity stand in the way of work. Her father had manned the gunnery turrets whilst drunk, enraged, and plagued with the gout, and he'd take it very poorly if Liza let a bit of a chill stand in her way.

The cloudy days were the worst, although the clear days were colder. On a truly clear day, with her spyglass, Liza could see all the way to Turkey. Even on a hazy day, she could still make out the sinuous shapes of the dragons against the sky.

She took a swig of vodka—poor stuff, but it warmed her belly—and wiped the back of her mouth with a gloved hand. "The clouds are too thick," she muttered, passing her father the bottle. "If there were a dozen up there, we'd have no way of knowing it."

"They can't climb that high. Too much meat on them."

"These clouds are low, though," insisted Liza. "You could graze them with a shot, and you can bet the dragons know to hide in clouds like these. Regular volleys, that's the only way of keeping the rails safe when the clouds are low."

"If it'll please you, make a pass with the gun. But you won't bring anything down, and then what? The whole town in a stir, just because you wanted to shoot something." And then Nastya would refuse them credit at the tavern and Kostya would charge them more for ammunition, and no one reputable would gamble or drink with them. Liza knew this just as well as her father did.

Vladimir Petrovich offered her a gap-toothed smile. It resembled nothing so much as an old battlement devastated by centuries of cannonades. It was the kind of smile that made children run for cover and dogs bark at him in the street. "Keep an eye on the rails, not the sky. The Moscow train will have our guests… and their rent."