Dragons Fire By: Miguel Lopez De Leon

In Dragons Fire, author Miguel Lopez de Leon vividly brings to life the mythology and magic of the Chinese shamanic tradition, while bringing it to a modern readership. This book reads as a fast-moving tale that packs a lot into one book. It starts off with a detailed description of the origins of acupuncture, followed by a look at the fire element in mythological and magical traditions, and then delves into the practice of magic and the practice of meditation, both of which are crucial aspects of the dragon-tribe. The magic is presented in an engaging and entertaining way, while still remaining true to the tradition it is rooted in.

In part one, we learn that the story begins at the court of the Sun King, where a young woman is literally swept away by the force of his magic. It’s only a matter of time before she fully recovers, but things do not go smooth sailing. The next several chapters weave the story through the lives of several dragons, most notably the Warlord Shen Gong Feng and his apprentice Shen Yau. The complex interactions of these dragons add a real sense of character to the novel. Shen Gong Feng falls in love with a human woman who is half-horse and half-dinosaur, while the half-horse half-dinosaur Shen Yau falls in love with a human girl who is half-horse and half-dinosaur.

The remainder of the book covers the internal struggles and politics between the dragons, as well as a short section detailing the origins of the dragons themselves. The part about the origins is a nice little story that adds some depth to an already fantastic tale. I liked how Lopez delves into the history and mythology of dragons, how each species seems so different from the rest, and what the relationship is between them. The entire book is also interwoven with tales from Shen Yau’s past, as well as a few from the point of view of several other dragons. All in all, this is a good book that just about everybody should buy.