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Precinct #1
Dragon Precinct
Humans and elves, dwarves and gnomes, wizards and warriors all live and do business in the thriving, overcrowded port city of Cliff's End, to say nothing of the tourists and travellers who arrive by land and sea, passing through the metropolis on matters of business or pleasure--or on quests. The hard-working, under-appreciated officers of the Cliff's End Castle Guard work day and night to maintain law and order as best they can.
Gan Brightblade is one of the world's greatest heroes and a personal friend of the Lord and Lady of Cliff's End. So when he's brutally murdered in grubby lodgings in Dragon Precinct, on the eve of a great quest, the Captain of the Guard puts his two best investigators on the case. The half-elf Danthres Tresyllione and ex-soldier Torin ban Wyvald soon discover that the crime scene is empty of any forensic evidence--physical or magickal. They have no clues, and heat is on.
The Lord and Lady want their friend's murder solved--now. The populace is mourning the loss of a great hero. The ever-unhelpful Brotherhood of Wizards could take over the case at any minute. And then another member of Brightblade's party turns up dead....
Gan Brightblade is one of the world's greatest heroes and a personal friend of the Lord and Lady of Cliff's End. So when he's brutally murdered in grubby lodgings in Dragon Precinct, on the eve of a great quest, the Captain of the Guard puts his two best investigators on the case. The half-elf Danthres Tresyllione and ex-soldier Torin ban Wyvald soon discover that the crime scene is empty of any forensic evidence--physical or magickal. They have no clues, and heat is on.
The Lord and Lady want their friend's murder solved--now. The populace is mourning the loss of a great hero. The ever-unhelpful Brotherhood of Wizards could take over the case at any minute. And then another member of Brightblade's party turns up dead....
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
December 8, 2020
OK, this was kind of a fun read. It doesn't take itself seriously even a little bit and should be read in a lighthearted mood. Like on the beach, but not the airplane.
It is clearly based on modern police detective practices but set in a magical fantasy land of elves and trolls. This does lead to some awkward moments like the medical examiner M.E. being replaced with a magical examiner. I think the story would have benefited by relaxing the rigid adherence to police procedurals.
One other aspect bothered me a bit, and that was how it kept POV hopping, not just to the villain which wouldn't be too unusual in this style of story, but also to the other two detective teams working on unrelated cases. That just felt like padding to make the book long enough to reach some artificial word count. I think the story would have been stronger just focusing on the one detective pair.
There are a whole bunch of these now, I'm not sure I'll read them any time soon because I don't know when I'll be at a beach next digging my toes into the sand, a cold Diet Dr Pepper at hand and a longing to read something completely un-taxing. But, when that time comes along I'll probably read more.
It is clearly based on modern police detective practices but set in a magical fantasy land of elves and trolls. This does lead to some awkward moments like the medical examiner M.E. being replaced with a magical examiner. I think the story would have benefited by relaxing the rigid adherence to police procedurals.
One other aspect bothered me a bit, and that was how it kept POV hopping, not just to the villain which wouldn't be too unusual in this style of story, but also to the other two detective teams working on unrelated cases. That just felt like padding to make the book long enough to reach some artificial word count. I think the story would have been stronger just focusing on the one detective pair.
There are a whole bunch of these now, I'm not sure I'll read them any time soon because I don't know when I'll be at a beach next digging my toes into the sand, a cold Diet Dr Pepper at hand and a longing to read something completely un-taxing. But, when that time comes along I'll probably read more.
August 16, 2020
Way back in high school, the first tabletop RPG game I ever played had us playing as cops trying to solve a mystery in a fantasty setting. Maybe it stuck in my head, or maybe it was just playing on an interest that was already there, but ever since them, the combo of D&D and police procedural has worked its way into my gaming in a variety of ways.
And since that point I've been looking for books that scratched that particular itch. the night Watch series of Discworld books came closest, especially around Men at Arms and Feet of Clay, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for.
This book was closer. More flawed as a novel than the Night Watch books, but hitting the right notes for what I was looking for. We have a cast of different detectives, three simultaneous crimes running concurrently and a lot of walking and talking and good-cop, bad-cop interviews.
A famous adventuring party has come to town, allegedly to head out on an island cruise. But those plans are cut short when the leader is found dead in his room at a local inn. And while our lead detectives are working that case, the others are on their own missions -- one pair after a serial rapist, while the other pair looks into the case of counterfeit glamour items.
I wanted to like this book more -- and I did like it enough that I'll definitely be checking out the next volume. But there were so many problems that I thought could have been sanded away and made for a more fulfilling reading experience.
First of all, there are a metric ton of characters. It's astounding -- and frankly, it makes the book a little difficult to fully immerse in because it throws SO many names at you in a short amount of time that it becomes kind of a blur. There are six detectives, their boss, the leaders of the city, the ME, the adventuring party, the multiple people at the tavern, the beat cops, the informants, the witnesses ... Just so many names. It can not only distract because you forget who's who (and thus what their potential impact is when they enter a scene) but also because a lot of them get viewpoint chapters. I didn't mind swapping between the three pairs of detectives, but the POVs beyond that felt like they detracted.
So, that's the first of two big problems I had getting into this book. the second was that the ending just wasn't super compelling to me.
So, definitely not a home run, but I liked the world and the interactions of characters, not to mention the premise itself, that I do think I'll eventually check out volume 2.
And since that point I've been looking for books that scratched that particular itch. the night Watch series of Discworld books came closest, especially around Men at Arms and Feet of Clay, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for.
This book was closer. More flawed as a novel than the Night Watch books, but hitting the right notes for what I was looking for. We have a cast of different detectives, three simultaneous crimes running concurrently and a lot of walking and talking and good-cop, bad-cop interviews.
A famous adventuring party has come to town, allegedly to head out on an island cruise. But those plans are cut short when the leader is found dead in his room at a local inn. And while our lead detectives are working that case, the others are on their own missions -- one pair after a serial rapist, while the other pair looks into the case of counterfeit glamour items.
I wanted to like this book more -- and I did like it enough that I'll definitely be checking out the next volume. But there were so many problems that I thought could have been sanded away and made for a more fulfilling reading experience.
First of all, there are a metric ton of characters. It's astounding -- and frankly, it makes the book a little difficult to fully immerse in because it throws SO many names at you in a short amount of time that it becomes kind of a blur. There are six detectives, their boss, the leaders of the city, the ME, the adventuring party, the multiple people at the tavern, the beat cops, the informants, the witnesses ... Just so many names. It can not only distract because you forget who's who (and thus what their potential impact is when they enter a scene) but also because a lot of them get viewpoint chapters. I didn't mind swapping between the three pairs of detectives, but the POVs beyond that felt like they detracted.
So, that's the first of two big problems I had getting into this book. the second was that the ending just wasn't super compelling to me.
So, definitely not a home run, but I liked the world and the interactions of characters, not to mention the premise itself, that I do think I'll eventually check out volume 2.
April 17, 2024
A fun book about cops solving crimes in the big city that also happens to be in a fantasy setting... so in addition to the basic criminals you've got magic, monsters, evil wizards, etc. The central plot to this story is the murder of a world famous adventurer which has the high mucky mucks in the city all astir to get the case solved as quickly as possible. Of course complications ensue and there are other crimes afoot that also have to be dealt with. It's a little rough around the edges but a good story overall and it comes with a nice bonus piece at the end.
May 1, 2011
Keith R.A. DeCandido never met an entertainment franchise that he didn't like. I've heard it rumored that he's pitched a series of novels focusing on that former fat-guy Jerod from all of those "Subway" commercials ... and that may end up being more entertaining fare than his fantasy-themed riff on CBS's juggernaut "CSI" franchise with "Dragon Precinct," a largely tepid but thankfully quick read.
Don't get me wrong: DeCandido (and others) has done a scholar's work in sinking the "Star Trek" franchise into the worst level of vanity publishing, but I was looking forward to his creative "stretch" here with an original novel, and, on some levels, it actually succeeds. There's a unique intrigue to the world of fantasy populated by elves, trolls, wizards, and common folk, and, had he stayed firmly grounded in the tongue-in-cheek humor that only occasionally pops up in this tale of exploring the "mystery in a box" theme, he may have hit a homerun. When he hits some farcical moments, the tale spins nicely; unfortunately, those moments are very, very, very few and far between.
Sadly, the procedural isn't that strong, and methinks KRAD could have spent more time reading those instead of the fantasy/science fiction realm he's so often dabbled in. The narrative within the chapters flips wildly from character to character, and, at times, it gets a bit difficult to follow. By the conclusion, I found myself caring less and less about the lead characters and more and more about simply seeing it all finished.
Hopefully, there will be no follow-up, though a few ends are dangled. Methinks he'd best stick to "Star Trek" where, at least, he's guaranteed an audience.
Don't get me wrong: DeCandido (and others) has done a scholar's work in sinking the "Star Trek" franchise into the worst level of vanity publishing, but I was looking forward to his creative "stretch" here with an original novel, and, on some levels, it actually succeeds. There's a unique intrigue to the world of fantasy populated by elves, trolls, wizards, and common folk, and, had he stayed firmly grounded in the tongue-in-cheek humor that only occasionally pops up in this tale of exploring the "mystery in a box" theme, he may have hit a homerun. When he hits some farcical moments, the tale spins nicely; unfortunately, those moments are very, very, very few and far between.
Sadly, the procedural isn't that strong, and methinks KRAD could have spent more time reading those instead of the fantasy/science fiction realm he's so often dabbled in. The narrative within the chapters flips wildly from character to character, and, at times, it gets a bit difficult to follow. By the conclusion, I found myself caring less and less about the lead characters and more and more about simply seeing it all finished.
Hopefully, there will be no follow-up, though a few ends are dangled. Methinks he'd best stick to "Star Trek" where, at least, he's guaranteed an audience.
May 9, 2020
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased this book for full price.
Once again, DeCandido has blown me away with his knowledge of genre tropes and how to bend them to his will to create a fantastic story. This time, he combines the magic of police procedurals with high fantasy (via table-top role-playing game conventions) to craft a unique and satisfying mystery.
Readers who have played table-top RPGs will probably appreciate the world-building of this book the most, but any fantasy or mystery readers will find something to enjoy. Personally, as a reader who has always loved “lower decks” tales, this visit to the realm of town guards, who are generally just bit players or unnamed obstacles in a played RPG, was a huge treat for me.
Every character in this book plays on familiar stereotypes from multiple genres; because of this, every character in this book is unique and contains hidden depths. The plot/mystery/storyline itself also employs this “best of both worlds” method of writing with the bonus of a completely unexpected twist.
I could have done with a bit less of the literal depiction of dialect in the book’s dialogue, but that’s also a fantasy trope that just happens to be a pet peeve of mine. Certainly not enough to stop me from looking forward to the next book in this series.
Once again, DeCandido has blown me away with his knowledge of genre tropes and how to bend them to his will to create a fantastic story. This time, he combines the magic of police procedurals with high fantasy (via table-top role-playing game conventions) to craft a unique and satisfying mystery.
Readers who have played table-top RPGs will probably appreciate the world-building of this book the most, but any fantasy or mystery readers will find something to enjoy. Personally, as a reader who has always loved “lower decks” tales, this visit to the realm of town guards, who are generally just bit players or unnamed obstacles in a played RPG, was a huge treat for me.
Every character in this book plays on familiar stereotypes from multiple genres; because of this, every character in this book is unique and contains hidden depths. The plot/mystery/storyline itself also employs this “best of both worlds” method of writing with the bonus of a completely unexpected twist.
I could have done with a bit less of the literal depiction of dialect in the book’s dialogue, but that’s also a fantasy trope that just happens to be a pet peeve of mine. Certainly not enough to stop me from looking forward to the next book in this series.
November 19, 2018
If the idea of a DnD Game taking the form of a crime procedural appeals to you, then Dragon Precinct might just be the book for you.
This odd little novel that takes the standard elements of a murder mystery and shifts the setting from our world to a medieval realm with magic, elves, dwarves, and other standard fantasy fair. I was 100% on-board with this idea and wanted to see what DeCandido would do with it, but the overall novel failed to charm me.
I tend to prefer mysteries that are all about logic and clues, where the reader has a chance to solve it all on their own. This novel played out more like a NCIS episode where the viewer has no chance to solve it on their own and the fun is watching the characters explain things to you as they figure them out.
That works when you have excellent characters that the audience wants to follow around, but excellent characters are hard to pull off without an actor to give them life. Such is the case here. I liked the cast, but not well enough to make me love the novel.
If you'd taken the same cast and fleshed out the plot a bit more instead of hiding everything until the end, then this could have been amazing. As it is, it was just "okay" and I'd only recommend reading it as a loaner from the library.
This odd little novel that takes the standard elements of a murder mystery and shifts the setting from our world to a medieval realm with magic, elves, dwarves, and other standard fantasy fair. I was 100% on-board with this idea and wanted to see what DeCandido would do with it, but the overall novel failed to charm me.
I tend to prefer mysteries that are all about logic and clues, where the reader has a chance to solve it all on their own. This novel played out more like a NCIS episode where the viewer has no chance to solve it on their own and the fun is watching the characters explain things to you as they figure them out.
That works when you have excellent characters that the audience wants to follow around, but excellent characters are hard to pull off without an actor to give them life. Such is the case here. I liked the cast, but not well enough to make me love the novel.
If you'd taken the same cast and fleshed out the plot a bit more instead of hiding everything until the end, then this could have been amazing. As it is, it was just "okay" and I'd only recommend reading it as a loaner from the library.
May 6, 2023
That was an absolutely fun and delightful read, which brings you on an adventure of crime, murder, and magic. Dragon Precinct is the first book in the Dragon Precinct series.
The worldbuilding, setting, and plot are fantastic, excellent characters set in a world where humans and elves, dwarves and gnomes, wizards and warriors all live and do business in the thriving, overcrowded port city of Cliff’s End.
In this book, we follow two detectives, Lieutenants Torin ban Wyvald, an ex soldier and Danthres Tresyllione, a half elf, who have been given the lead on investigating the mysterious murder of Gan Brightblade is one of the world’s greatest heroes and a personal friend of the Lord and Lady of Cliff’s End.
When he is found in the grubby lodgings in Dragon Precinct, on the eve of a great quest, Lieutenants Torin ban Wyvald and Danthres Tresyllione soon discover that the crime scene is empty of any forensic evidence—physical or magickal. They have no clues, and the heat is on leading them to all sorts of discovery, crimes, and corruption.
It's a fun read for all fantasy fans of Dungeons and Dragons, very highly recommended...😁🗡🔥⚡️
The worldbuilding, setting, and plot are fantastic, excellent characters set in a world where humans and elves, dwarves and gnomes, wizards and warriors all live and do business in the thriving, overcrowded port city of Cliff’s End.
In this book, we follow two detectives, Lieutenants Torin ban Wyvald, an ex soldier and Danthres Tresyllione, a half elf, who have been given the lead on investigating the mysterious murder of Gan Brightblade is one of the world’s greatest heroes and a personal friend of the Lord and Lady of Cliff’s End.
When he is found in the grubby lodgings in Dragon Precinct, on the eve of a great quest, Lieutenants Torin ban Wyvald and Danthres Tresyllione soon discover that the crime scene is empty of any forensic evidence—physical or magickal. They have no clues, and the heat is on leading them to all sorts of discovery, crimes, and corruption.
It's a fun read for all fantasy fans of Dungeons and Dragons, very highly recommended...😁🗡🔥⚡️
January 14, 2019
Dragon Precinct was a pretty good introduction to the series. It gives a good overall view of the port city of Cliff’s End and the world in general. It's basically a police procedural series that's set in a fantasy world. There's loads of interesting things in it as the author world builds and loads of little things that I'm sure will crop up in future books. The resolution of the mystery was a bit flat for me personally, not the reveal itself but the after-effects. Likewise the myriad small events didn't tie together as uch as I thought they would but I think that's the point, not all matters investigated by the castle guard are part of one big story. The oddest thing at the end was the large seemingly tacked on exposition by one of the main characters. It didn't feel like it quite fitted at the end of the book and whilst I'm sure it'll probably be important for future stories I don't think it added anything to the story being positioned where it was.
May 19, 2022
Okay so this book wasn't great but I've read worse. I knew how it was going to end within the first few pages. The characters all kind of blurred into each other. There was exactly one woman in the story that wasn't a victim, a Karen or a prostitute (though what saved it from a two star review was that the likeable characters seemed pretty decently sex work positive).
What was going on in the story was pretty cool conceptually but said concept was introduced way too late in the story to be remotely fair. It only seems surprising because the author cheated.
Also, there's a gratuitous 'catch the rapist' plot. I'm not a huge fan of rape as a garnish, if you're going to include it, it has to be handled respectfully and this wasn't. It wasn't the most egregious thing I've ever seen and to be honest as a whole it was a pretty mediocre book. Good for a short read if you're trying to hit your quota though.
What was going on in the story was pretty cool conceptually but said concept was introduced way too late in the story to be remotely fair. It only seems surprising because the author cheated.
Also, there's a gratuitous 'catch the rapist' plot. I'm not a huge fan of rape as a garnish, if you're going to include it, it has to be handled respectfully and this wasn't. It wasn't the most egregious thing I've ever seen and to be honest as a whole it was a pretty mediocre book. Good for a short read if you're trying to hit your quota though.
June 19, 2021
I'm giving this three stars because it got better by the end. The biggest issue I have with this story is the characters. The main inchinvestigators remain in the same mood through the entire story. One is always cheerful, the other is always pissed off. The great cathartic moment occurs when the passed off character explains why she is passed off,, and then decides the be happy for a moment.
As a whole, the characters feel flat and one dimensional. This is the pitfall of playing in and publishing tales set in established universes with established characters. This writer never had to learn to develop his own characters; he received them ready made via television scripts and actor interpretations. I'm sharing this here in the hopes this writer will continue to develop their craft, for I genuinely wish to see indie writers succeed.
As a whole, the characters feel flat and one dimensional. This is the pitfall of playing in and publishing tales set in established universes with established characters. This writer never had to learn to develop his own characters; he received them ready made via television scripts and actor interpretations. I'm sharing this here in the hopes this writer will continue to develop their craft, for I genuinely wish to see indie writers succeed.
May 7, 2018
One of the early "police procedural" mysteries set in a fantasy world. Keith does an excellent job of translating modern day investigation techniques to what you would need to deal with fantastic creatures of many types. For example, can forensics tell you whether a fire was started by a phoenix or a salamander?
Well written and properly grammatical, with enjoyable characters and well crafted plot.
Meanwhile I've been looking for the sequel, Unicorn Precinct, because this one was so enjoyable I want to continue. As far as I know that's it for the series though.
Well written and properly grammatical, with enjoyable characters and well crafted plot.
Meanwhile I've been looking for the sequel, Unicorn Precinct, because this one was so enjoyable I want to continue. As far as I know that's it for the series though.
June 5, 2019
Police procedurals are not a genre I normally reach for, but attending a convention with the author as a panelist had me eager to read Dragon Precinct.
I do not regret it in the least! DeCandido has created an amazing culture in a fantasy city that has the same sorts of problems we do in the real world. He actually made me care about the cops of such a place. How they approach crimesolving in a world where magic exists, where different fantasy races coexist... it's vibrant and a joy to read!
You can bet I'll be picking up the rest of the series.
I do not regret it in the least! DeCandido has created an amazing culture in a fantasy city that has the same sorts of problems we do in the real world. He actually made me care about the cops of such a place. How they approach crimesolving in a world where magic exists, where different fantasy races coexist... it's vibrant and a joy to read!
You can bet I'll be picking up the rest of the series.
March 1, 2023
Delivers on what it purports to be, a light-hearted comedic 'police procedural' or detective story. The 'bit' is that it is set in a fantasy world. There are interweaving crimes, and each is dependent on magic, the limits of which make perfect sense.
The characters are well-drawn, and their differences highlighted at the end, in the epilogic bar get-together at the end.
I laughed enough times to make the comedy worthwhile. It isn't so wafer thin and characterless that I will forget it immediately. Like I said, for what it is, it's basically perfect.
The characters are well-drawn, and their differences highlighted at the end, in the epilogic bar get-together at the end.
I laughed enough times to make the comedy worthwhile. It isn't so wafer thin and characterless that I will forget it immediately. Like I said, for what it is, it's basically perfect.
May 11, 2020
This was a cool melding of two genres: Dungeons and Dragons style fantasy with CSI style police procedural. The author does a good job at inserting tongue in cheek humor while not being completely campy or hokey. The book takes several loving stabs at fantasy tropes and creates a fun mystery. My only complaint is that it ends a little abruptly. Not to worry though, as this novel is the first in a sizeable series (another fantasy trope).
February 2, 2022
I've always like fantasy procedural stories, like the Vlad Talos and Garrett PI series. DeCandido follows in the same tradition, taking a look at the goings-on behind the scenes for the guards and detectives of a fantasy world. There's some fun humor here, and an interesting mystery, though the ending was a bit anticlimactic. Plus, there's a bonus story dealing with some of the heroes in the story and how tales are told.
February 6, 2020
A great D and D style book. It is like a mix of D and D and Mike Hammer. There is lots of adventure, fighting, gruff partner law officers and gritty Fae life style. A very fast read it that it is hard to put down.
July 17, 2024
I was a bit bored. There's a lot of potential but things weren't expanded on. Really felt more like a quick dnd game when it could've been a longer campaign. The characters are a bit boring as well. Might be a good book for aspiring young dnd players though!
January 11, 2019
This would have been four stars, as it was fairly enjoyable, but the end was so lacklustre, I didn’t realise that was it until I turned the page and found there wasn’t any more book.
March 23, 2019
An enjoyable easy read. Basically a police procedural story in a very unusual environment consisting of elves, goblins, wizards etc! I will certainly read others in this series.
July 26, 2019
If the premise of two guards investigating murders among a party of so-called "adventurers" sounds appealing, you'll probably find Dragon Precinct a pleasant read.
October 13, 2019
Not a bad read, but it didn't really sell me on the fantasy aspect I was expecting. It read more like a crime mystery/detective novel (which it was, I guess).
February 27, 2020
Great premise, but horrifically boring and flat, with characters that have no life. Law & Order this is not. Could not finish, very disappointed.
November 21, 2021
Audiobook, reader Michael Page; excellent.
Whimsical fun, quite enjoyable listen.
Whimsical fun, quite enjoyable listen.
October 24, 2022
19 All sorts of fantastical characters with a lot of promise. Reminiscent of Terry Pratchett world. I enjoyed it and can recommend to the normal crew.
January 25, 2023
Guards, detective work on medieval times with magic, nice characters and rather funny interactions.
February 21, 2019
You might not think that Fantasy and Procedural don’t mix. You would think wrong. Slow starting after an interesting prologue that gives a lot of background (and a murder), but then the case unfolds better than your usual cop shows. Thought it might be problematic solving a murder when magic is involved, but my fears were unfounded.
September 22, 2018
Ending was out of nowhere. Might pick up the second one to see if the story improves.
March 27, 2014
Dragon Precinct & Unicorn Precinct, published by Dark Quest Books, are the first two books in a series, by Keith R.A. DeCandio, the third of which, Goblin Precinct, is set to come out in the spring.
Set in the city-state Cliff’s End, the books follow two detectives, who strive to solve crime in a city filled with elves, trolls, gnomes, wizards, halflings and other fantasy creatures. A Lord and Lady rule the city, along with a cadre of Nobles that seem destined to get in the way of the bad guys (and the good guys for that matter). The books mix police procedural with fantasy in an entertainingly lighthearted way.
Dragon Precinct, the first book of the series, follows detectives Danthes & Torin as they investigate a string of murders within an adventuring party. To make matters worse, the adventurers are heroes of the realm, and the Lord and Lady want it solved quickly. The book itself isn’t very long, 163 pages, decidedly a quick read. DeCandido doesn’t provide a lot of backstory on the characters in this first book, but it isn’t really necessary. The humor, along with the twists and turns of solving the murders make this a fun read.
I’d recommend this one for folks who like fantasy novels and CSI. It’s great for quick plane trips, or for those who have a couple of hours to kill in a coffee shop.
Unicorn Precinct, the second installment in the series, brings us back to Danthes & Torin. This time they’re out to solve the murder of a young noblewoman about to be married. In this book, DeCandido fleshes out Torin’s backstory for us quite a bit more, and we get to see a different, or at least a milder side of the normally acerbic Danthes.
Reading the two books, one immediately after the other, probably helped my impressions of both. While the stories don’t particularly reference one another, the setting is the same, and the continuity made it feel like one longer book. I would suggest reading them this way, or wait until Goblin Precinct comes out and read all three of them together. I am looking forward re-reading them all once Goblin Precinct comes out.
You can find more of Keith’s work, and his latest projects on his website at http://sff.net/people/krad/ or purchase a copy of Unicorn Precinct on Amazon
Original Blog post here: http://www.unboundbooking.com/blog/po...-
Set in the city-state Cliff’s End, the books follow two detectives, who strive to solve crime in a city filled with elves, trolls, gnomes, wizards, halflings and other fantasy creatures. A Lord and Lady rule the city, along with a cadre of Nobles that seem destined to get in the way of the bad guys (and the good guys for that matter). The books mix police procedural with fantasy in an entertainingly lighthearted way.
Dragon Precinct, the first book of the series, follows detectives Danthes & Torin as they investigate a string of murders within an adventuring party. To make matters worse, the adventurers are heroes of the realm, and the Lord and Lady want it solved quickly. The book itself isn’t very long, 163 pages, decidedly a quick read. DeCandido doesn’t provide a lot of backstory on the characters in this first book, but it isn’t really necessary. The humor, along with the twists and turns of solving the murders make this a fun read.
I’d recommend this one for folks who like fantasy novels and CSI. It’s great for quick plane trips, or for those who have a couple of hours to kill in a coffee shop.
Unicorn Precinct, the second installment in the series, brings us back to Danthes & Torin. This time they’re out to solve the murder of a young noblewoman about to be married. In this book, DeCandido fleshes out Torin’s backstory for us quite a bit more, and we get to see a different, or at least a milder side of the normally acerbic Danthes.
Reading the two books, one immediately after the other, probably helped my impressions of both. While the stories don’t particularly reference one another, the setting is the same, and the continuity made it feel like one longer book. I would suggest reading them this way, or wait until Goblin Precinct comes out and read all three of them together. I am looking forward re-reading them all once Goblin Precinct comes out.
You can find more of Keith’s work, and his latest projects on his website at http://sff.net/people/krad/ or purchase a copy of Unicorn Precinct on Amazon
Original Blog post here: http://www.unboundbooking.com/blog/po...-
January 22, 2016
Author Keith R.A. DeCandido's "Dragon Precinct" is a fun read and an admirable beginning to a series of stories about a small squad of detectives trying to enforce the law in a very strange place.
How strange?
Well, the cops who work out of the Dragon Precinct live in a world populated by humans, dwarves, elves, trolls, hobgoblins, and other magical folk. It's as if Ed McBain's 82nd Precinct detectives went "over the rainbow" one day and wound up in Wonderland.
DeCandido demonstrates impressive world-building skills in "Dragon Precinct" but more than that he has developed some very interesting characters and dropped them into some very real situations. While one team of cops is investigating multiple murders, for example, another team is trying to catch a serial rapist. In their efforts to track down the perpetrators of these and other crimes their efforts are hindered by uncooperative witnesses, local politicians, and false leads. I spent many years as a cop reporter up and down the East Coast of the United States and I can say that the situations DeCandido has created for his detectives ring true in every aspect.
The detectives are an interesting bunch including an old hand on the verge of retirement who is paired with a young - and very naive - officer from a well-to-do family and a halfling woman with a burning desire for justice partnered with an easy-going cop who tries his best to keep her out of trouble. They and the other members of the precinct's detective bureau are well drawn characters. DeCandido also does a very nice job in fleshing out some of the secondary characters in this novel, particularly an interfering politician and a crooked store owner.
The narrative is easy to follow and his scene setting is very well done. There are not a lot of flowery descriptions in this novel; given the fact that this is essentially a police procedural you wouldn't expect many so I consider that a plus. Still, DeCandido does manage to put the reader both "in the moment" and "in the place" nicely.
The verdict: A good story with interesting characters and well worth reading.
How strange?
Well, the cops who work out of the Dragon Precinct live in a world populated by humans, dwarves, elves, trolls, hobgoblins, and other magical folk. It's as if Ed McBain's 82nd Precinct detectives went "over the rainbow" one day and wound up in Wonderland.
DeCandido demonstrates impressive world-building skills in "Dragon Precinct" but more than that he has developed some very interesting characters and dropped them into some very real situations. While one team of cops is investigating multiple murders, for example, another team is trying to catch a serial rapist. In their efforts to track down the perpetrators of these and other crimes their efforts are hindered by uncooperative witnesses, local politicians, and false leads. I spent many years as a cop reporter up and down the East Coast of the United States and I can say that the situations DeCandido has created for his detectives ring true in every aspect.
The detectives are an interesting bunch including an old hand on the verge of retirement who is paired with a young - and very naive - officer from a well-to-do family and a halfling woman with a burning desire for justice partnered with an easy-going cop who tries his best to keep her out of trouble. They and the other members of the precinct's detective bureau are well drawn characters. DeCandido also does a very nice job in fleshing out some of the secondary characters in this novel, particularly an interfering politician and a crooked store owner.
The narrative is easy to follow and his scene setting is very well done. There are not a lot of flowery descriptions in this novel; given the fact that this is essentially a police procedural you wouldn't expect many so I consider that a plus. Still, DeCandido does manage to put the reader both "in the moment" and "in the place" nicely.
The verdict: A good story with interesting characters and well worth reading.
February 21, 2017
This was a fun quick read. Not a horrible book, but nothing spectacular either. The book does not have a great end to the mystery and frankly was a little weak. But, I liked the characters and their interaction enough to buy the second one.
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