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Description
In 1957 Washington state, Sarah Dewhurst and her father hire a dragon named Kazimir to help work their struggling farm. The dragon, an outcast himself, carries a dangerous prophecy involving a deadly assassin targeting Sarah. As danger closes in, Sarah must rely on her unlikely ally to protect her, even as she questions whether a creature believed to lack a soul can truly be trusted.
Quick Summary
Patrick Ness does something really unexpected here he drops a dragon into 1950s rural America, and somehow it works beautifully. Sarah Dewhurst is a fantastic main character, tough and complicated in ways that feel real, and watching her navigate both the ordinary struggles of farm life and the extraordinary prophecy that follows that dragon is genuinely compelling. The book blends historical fiction with fantasy in a way I haven't seen before, and the tension builds steadily toward something that will keep you turning pages late into the night. That said, this isn't a book for younger readers there's profanity, some sexual situations, graphic violence, and racial slurs woven into the story, so it's best suited for mature high schoolers who can handle heavy themes alongside their fantasy. If you've read and loved other Ness books like A Monster Calls or The Rest of Us Just Live Here, you'll recognize his signature emotional gut-punches here, just with dragons instead. It's a quick read for the page count because the pacing is tight and the premise is so unusual that you just want to see where it goes.