If you are a fan of Anne McCaffrey's books or alternative histories you are sure to enjoy this, the start of a new series. Just as in her books, the dragons are full of love for their humans and they all live together in a close, telepathic community. As with McCaffrey, this is more a tale for the girls than the boys, having more than a few "cute" moments, but just as the plot began to sag a little in the middle and threaten to become mired in domesticity (for me, McCaffrey's main fault) the battle scenes kick in and the story takes wing. Kim Novik reveals herself as a first-rate writer of action scenes and I was entranced. Her descriptions of the England of Georgette Heyer and Patrick O'Brien are neatly melded together with the history of the dragons, calling to mind the same in Harry Potter. In fact, Potter fans will find much to enjoy here - more than fans of Patrick O'Brien will as very little of the story takes place at sea.